ICVA Conference, Wednesday, 1 February 2006

General Information for Participants

E-mail Message, 27 January 2006

For your information

To: ICVA Conference Participants
From: ICVA Secretariat
Date: 27 January 2006
Subject: ICVA Conference - General Information for Participants

Dear ICVA Members,

Please find attached an updated agenda for the ICVA Conference "NGOs: The Principles and Politics of Humanitarian Action" being held on Wednesday, 1 February 2006, and the draft agenda for the General Assembly held on 2 and 3 February 2006.

All documents for the Conference are being made available on the ICVA website at http://www.icva.ch/cgi-bin/browse.pl?doc=doc00001621.

The venue for the Conference is the International Conference Centre Geneva (CICG). CICG is located at 17 rue de Varembé, Geneva, close to UNHCR and the Palais des Nations. An access map is available on the CICG website at .

ACCESS TO CICG

Geneva's Cointrin International Airport is five km from CICG, a trip that takes about ten minutes by taxi. Geneva's main railway station, Gare Cornavin, is 2 km from CICG and linked by public transport as well as taxies. Bus 5 takes six minutes from Cornavin to the "Vermont" bus stop outside CICG. There are also public transport links between Cornavin and the airport by bus 10 or train. Tickets must be bought before boarding buses, and are available from vending machines at bus stops. Please note that these machines do not give change. More public transport information is available from the "Transports publics genevois" website at http://www.tpg.ch.

There is a taxi rank located outside the CICG. Taxis can also be obtained by telephoning: 022.331.41.33; 022.320.20.20 or 022.320.22.02

Participants may be dropped off by car near the main entrance to CICG, but no parking is allowed there. Parking restrictions are in force in the streets adjacent to CICG. Participants may use the underground parking at the Parking des Nations on rue de Varembé, one minute's walk from CICG. Cards will be available for purchase at the Conference registration table that provide participants with a preferential parking rate of CHF 8 for the day, to be used when leaving the carpark.

GENEVA WEATHER

Please note that in January and February the weather in Geneva can be very cold, with average maximum daily temperatures between 4C and 5C. It is recommended that you bring warm clothes and appropriate footwear. A forecast for the coming week is available on the Geneva Tourism website at http://www.geneve-tourisme.ch/?rubrique=0000000365&lang=_eng

FACILITIES AT OR NEAR CICG

Ten internet booths are available at CICG for internet, e-mail and word processing. CICG is also equipped with a wireless fidelity (WI-FI) system. A post office is located at CICG and opens from 07:30 to 12:00 and 13:45 to 18:00. There is also a branch of the UBS bank, open from 8:30 to 16:30.

ICVA GENERAL ASSEMBLY PARTICIPANTS

Those conference participants that are also attending the ICVA General Assembly on 2 and 3 February are reminded that there will be an optional tour of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum taking place from 18:00 to 19:00 on Thursday 2 February. Participants wishing to take part should indicate so when registering for the ICVA Conference on Wednesday 1 February. A shuttle has been organised to Mandat International after the tour for those that are staying there. The Museum's website can be found at http://www.micr.ch.

With best regards,
ICVA Secretariat