UPUUNION

POSTALEUNIVERSELLE

UPU

UNIVERSALPOSTALUNION

UNIVERSALPOSTALUNION

25e Congrès postal universel

24 septembre – 15 octobre 2012

Guideà l’intentiondes participants

25th Universal Postal Congress24 September – 15 October 2012

Guideforparticipants

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Contents

A Access to the Congress site, registration, transport, security and first aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

B Credentials, proxies and other documents to be submitted to the secretariat by member countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

C Facilities at the Congress venue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

D General information and facilities outside the Congress venue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

A floor plan of the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC), venue of the 25th UPU Congress, will be published separately from this guide.

A list of telephone numbers of the members of the International Bureau Congress Secretariat and other key support services will be published at the start of Congress.

Central information desk: +974 4470 7888

CONGRÈS-Note 15

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A Access to the Congress site, registration, transport, security and first aid

Address Qatar National Convention Centre, Garafat Al Rayyan and Dukhan Highway, Doha, Education City, PO Box 34195, Doha, Qatar, T +974 4470 7000, F +974 4470 7001

Disabled access areas are available at the QNCC .

The QNCC is a smoke-free building . Smoking is permitted outside the building in allocated areas .

1 Registration services

The Congress registration services will issue delegates with their Congress badge upon presentation of the con-firmation of their preliminary registration .

Participants must allow at least one hour to register and collect their badges before the start of the first meeting .

a Registration hours

• Sunday,23September:10.00–20.00.

• Monday,24September:7.30–09.00and14.30–20.00.

• DuringCongress:8.30–18.30.

b Hours of access to QNCC

• StartingonTuesday,25September:8.00–18.30(SundaytoThursday).

• ClosedonFridaysandSaturdays.

• Sunday,23SeptemberandMonday,24September:openuntil20.00toallowforregis-tration .

c Registration and badges

• DelegateswillbeissuedwiththeirbadgeattheregistrationdeskintheQNCC.

• Delegateswhodidnotpre-registerwillbeabletoregisterattheQNCCuponpresentationof a passport or other official identity document, subject to the accreditation process .

• It isstronglyrecommendedthatalldelegateswishingtoparticipate intheopeningofCongress register and pick up their badge at the QNCC registration desk on 23 Septem-ber .

d Opening of Congress

• Theofficialopeningceremonywillstartat10.00on24September2012.

• Becauseoftheparticipationofhigh-levelgovernmentofficials,strictsecuritymeasureswill be in place, and access to the QNCC will be limited to the hours indicated .

• Allparticipantsintheopeningceremonymustarriveby9.00atthelatest.

• On-siteregistrationwillthereforestartearlier,at7.30.

• Transportationfromthehotelswillbeorganizedaccordingly.

• TheopeningceremonywillbefollowedbyalunchforalldelegateshostedbyQatar.Theopening plenary meeting will then commence at 14 .30 .

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e Media accreditation and press registration

• Mediainterestedincoveringthe25thUniversalPostalCongressmustmeetthestandardUnitedNationsaccreditationprocedures.

• Nomemberofthemedia(print,onlineorradio/television)isallowedtoregisterasadel-egate or form part of a country delegation .

• Allmembersofthemediamuststrictlyfollowthespecialmediaaccreditationproceduresandsubmittheapplicationformavailableatthefollowinglink:http://dohacongress.upu .int/media/accreditation .

• Journalists,producers,andmembersoftelevisioncrews(e.g.cameramen,soundmenandengineers)accompanyingjournalistsandproducersmusteachcompleteanaccreditationrequest form .

• Allmembersofthemediaapplyingforaccreditationmustsubmitproofthattheyrep-resentabonafidemediaorganization.TheUPUCommunicationProgrammemustbesatisfied that the individuals applying for accreditation are bona fide media professionals andrepresentabonafidemediaorganization(formallyregisteredasamediaorganizationinacountryrecognizedbytheUnitedNationsGeneralAssembly).

• Accreditationwillbegivenonlyonproofofatrackrecordofreportingformediaorgani-zationson internationalaffairs.Mediaaccreditation isnotgranted to the informationoutletsofnon-governmentalorganizations.

• Formoreinformationaboutmediaaccreditationandregistration,contactRhéalLeBlanc(rheal .leblanc@upu .int,+41793459764).

f Visa applications

• AllUPUCongressparticipants,withtheexceptionofnationalsoftheGulfCooperationCouncil(GCC)countries,arerequiredtoapplyforaQatarivisainaccordancewiththeprocedures explained on the UPU website: http://dohacongress.upu.int/participation/visas/ .

g Other services available at the registration desk

• Distributionofwelcomebags;

• Photosandbadgeprinting,whererequired(lateregistration,lossofbadge,etc.);

• Lostproperty;

2 Transportation

a Organized transportation for Congress delegates

• Pick-up at the airport on arrival(delegatesmustprovidetheirflightandhoteldetailswhenapplyingforavisa).

• Daily shuttles between hotels and the QNCC will be available for delegates staying at thehotelsontheofficiallistpublishedbytheInternationalBureau(refertothetransportscheduleinthehotellobbyandinthisguide).

• Transportation to receptions outside the QNCC will be communicated on a day-by-day basis .

• Drop-off at the airport on departure (delegatesmustprovidetheirflightdetailsbycompletingthedepartureinformationforminthewelcomebag;aboxfortheseformswillbeplacedattheQNCCregistrationdesk).

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b Private transportation

• Taxi service: A taxi service will be available at the QNCC during working hours . • Karwa Taxisaresafeandthedrivershelpful(tel:+97444588888).

c Car rentals

• Sixt Website:www .sixt .com Localtelephone:+97444324313 International:+491805232222

• Avis Website:www .avisqatar .com Localtelephone:+97444667744 International:+97455503923 E-mail:avis@qatar .net .qa

• Europcar Website:www .europcarqatar .com Localtelephone:+97444660677

3 Security arrangements

a Entry gates to the venue

• Gate 2 (Ground Level): Drop-off point for official shuttles and cars bearing stickers . Delegates who already have their badges will be dropped off at Gate 2 . Shuttles will then move to Gate 3 with the delegates who do not have badges .

• Gate 3 (Ground Level): Drop-off point for official shuttles and cars without stickers . Delegates who do not have badges will be dropped off at this gate to proceed to the registration desk to receive their badges . Shuttles carrying only delegates without badges will go directly to Gate 3 without stopping at Gate 2 .

b Security measures

• Walk-throughandhand-heldmetaldetectorsandX-rayscannerswillbeinplacetocheckpersonalbelongingsuponentrytotheQNCC(similartoairportsecuritychecks).

• Becauseofpossiblequeuesat thesecuritycontrol, it is recommendedtoarriveat theQNCCinadvancebeforethestartofthemeetings–allow at least 30 minutes to be on the safe side .

• Securityguardswill checkdelegates’badges–badges must be worn visibly at all times(ontheshuttlebusesandattheQNCC).

• Delegates’suitcasescannotbestoredattheQNCCastheX-rayscannersareonlyde-signedforbagsuptothesizeofnormalaircraftcarry-onbaggage.

• Thefollowingarticleswillnotbeallowedthroughthesecuritycontrol:itemswithblades,weapons, tools, martial arts or personal defence items, explosive or inflammable materi-als, chemical products, and other dangerous products .

• Anyitemsthatareconfiscatedwillbelabelledwiththeowner’sdetailsandcanbecol-lected on leaving the QNCC .

• TherewillbeapolicepresenceoutsidetheQNCC.

• ContactinformationforUPUSecurityExpert:+97444707888(from22September).

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4 First aid and health services

a On-site medical service

• Anon-sitemedicalroomwillbeopenfrom8.00to18.30,SundaytoThursday(startingfrom23September);

Location:GroundFloor,QNCC Telephone:+97444707888

• Servicesprovided:Mildailmentsdealtwithonsite;transfertootherfacilitieswhereur-gentmedicalcareisrequired;callingofemergencyserviceswhennecessary;administer-ingofemergencyand/orpalliativemedicines.

b Medical treatment and hospitalization

• In caseswheremedical treatmentorhospitalization is required, appropriatehealthortravel insurance,oran internationalcreditcardwithasufficientcredit limit,oranad-equatecashguaranteewillberequired.AstheUPUcannotactasaguarantorwhentheindividualhasinsufficientcover,thediplomaticrepresentationofthecountryinquestionwillneedtobecontactedinsuchcases.

B. Credentials, proxies and other documents to be submitted by member countries

1 Credentials

CredentialsmustbedepositedattheopeningofCongresswiththedesignatedauthority,namely,thesecretariatoftheCredentialsCommittee(C1)(seearticle3.2oftheRulesofProcedureofCongresses).

a Practical information for credentials and proxies

• Signatureofcredentials:Delegates’credentialsmustbesignedbytheHeadofState,theHeadofGovernmentortheMinisterofForeignAffairsofthecountryconcerned(seear-ticle3.1oftheRulesofProcedureofCongresses).Credentialssignedbyanotherminister,orbyadeputyminister,arenotrecognized.

b Consequences of non-validation of credentials

• Delegateswhodonothavecredentials intheirpossessionorwhohavenotdepositedtheircredentialsmay,providedthattheirnameshavebeencommunicatedbytheirgov-ernmenttotheInternationalBureau,takepartinthedebatesandvotefromthemomenttheyparticipateintheworkofCongress.Thesameappliestothosewhosecredentialsarefoundnottobeinorder.

• SuchdelegatesshallceasetobeempoweredtovotefromthetimeCongressapprovesthelastreportoftheCredentialsCommitteeestablishingthattheircredentialshavenotbeenreceivedorarenotinorder,untiltheirpositionisregularized.ThelastreportofC1mustbeapprovedbyCongressbeforetheelections,whichwilltakeplaceonthemorningof10October;thelastmeetingofC1willthereforebeheldon9 October, the deadline for depositing credentials (seearticle3.3of theRulesof ProcedureofCongresses,http://www.upu.int/en/the-upu/acts/about-acts.html).

• ThecredentialsofamembercountrywhicharrangesforthedelegationofanothermembercountrytorepresentitatCongress(proxy)shallbeinthesameformasthoseofanycountrypresent.

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• Credentialsandproxiessentbytelegramarenotadmissible.However,telegramssentinreply to requests for information relating to credentials are accepted .

• Model credentials and proxies are available on the UPU website: http://dohacongress.upu.int/participation/credentials-and-proxies/ .

c Voting

• SeeCongress–Note10(http://pls.upu.int/document/2012/an/cng_note/d010.pdf).

d Committee 1 (Credentials) secretariat

• LocationofC1secretariatattheQNCC:counteronLevel1.

• Openinghours: 23September:9.00to20.00 24September(firstmeetingofC1):8.00to17.30 25Septemberto14October:8.00to18.00

2 Foreign diplomatic representations in Qatar

• EmbassiesandconsulatesinQatar:http://english.mofa.gov.qa/index.cfm .

3 Choice of language of discussion

• Toenablethedistributionofthecostsofinterpretationservices,eachmembercountrymust inform the C 1 secretariat of the language it has chosen for Congress discussions bycompletingandsubmittingtheformannexedtoCongress–Note8(http://pls.upu.int/ document/2012/an/cng_note/d008.pdf).

• Theformmustbereturned,dulysigned,eithertotheC1secretariatortothereceptiondesk, no later than 15 October 2012 .

• Itmayalsobeforwardedasane-mailattachmenttoandreas .kerll@upu .int .

C. Facilities at the Congress venue

1 Plan of QNCC premises

• Aplanofthepremiseswillbeincludedinthewelcomebags.

• FloorplansofthepremiseswithdirectionsaredisplayedattheCongressvenue.

2 Allocation of seats in the Congress halls• Theseatingplansforthedelegationsinthetwomainhallswillbepreparedonthebasis

of the registrations received up to a specific deadline just prior to Congress . These plans will be available on site from 23 September .

• Inadditiontotheseatsassignedtoeachdelegation,anumberofunassignedseatswillbe available in the gallery of each hall .

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3 Calendara The meeting timetable s available on the UPU website: http://dohacongress.upu.int/

congress/meetings-calendar/ .b The calendar of other events (receptions, excursions, etc.) is also available on the

UPUwebsiteunder“Receptionsandbreaks”:http://dohacongress.upu.int/participation/ practical-info/ .

4 Information desk

a Location Level1 Telephone:+97444707888

b Opening hoursFrom8.00to18.30,SundaytoThursday(9.00to20.00on23September).

c Services• Callingtaxis;• General informationaboutCongress, excluding informationonDoha,hotelsorother

touristservices,whichisavailableatthecountersonLevel1.

5 Storage lockers

Delegations will have the option of renting storage lockers at the QNCC .

a. Size of lockers

• 183cmhighx38cmwidex45.7cmdeep.

b. Location of lockers

• QNCCGroundLevelWest.

c. Distribution of keys

• Keyswillbeavailablefromthepostofficecounteronthegroundlevel.

d. Cost of lockers

• ThepriceperlockerforthedurationofCongressis300QAR.

• Paymentwillbeacceptedincashonlyatthepostofficecounter.

• KeysmustbereturnedtothepostofficecounterbeforetherenterleavestheQNCCforthe last time .

6 Documents

a Hard and soft copies of meeting documents

• Meetingdocumentswillbeavailableonaself-servicebasisinthedocumentationcentre(hard-copyversions)andinthedocumentdatabaseontheUPUwebsite(electronicver-sions,passwordrequired).

• Thedownloadingofdocumentsfromthedatabaseisnoweasierthanbefore:thedocu-ments for each languagehavebeengrouped together in zip files, bydocument type(Congress–Doc,Congress–Note,proposal,dispatchletter)andformat(Word,PDF).

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b Login for documents in the UPU website document database

• Usernameandpassword:upudelegate(validuntiltheendofCongress).

c Self-service documentation centre

• Documentswillbedividedaccordingtolanguage,andthenbydocumenttype(proposal,report,Congress–Doc,Congress–Note,etc.).

• Themost recentdocuments, i.e. thoseadded since thebeginningof theday,will bemarked with a red label .

• Documentsbeingdiscussedinmeetingsonthecurrentdaywillbemarkedwithagreenlabel .

• Inaddition,asummarylistwillshowthemostrecentdocumentsforeachlanguage.

d Reference documentation

• Alimitedstockofreferencedocumentationwillbeavailableforconsultationbydelegatesat the documentation centre .

• Documentsmaybeborrowedifanidentitydocumentisleftasadeposit.

• Alternatively,referencedocumentscanbecopiedtoaUSBmemorystick.

e Location of documentation centre and detailsExhibition Hall 2, ground level Hours:8.00to18.30Telephone:+97444707888

7 Computers

a Self-service computers• Fifty PCswith Internet access,MicrosoftOffice softwareandprinting facilitieswill be

available in public areas .

b Location of self-service computers

Delegateworkarea/documentationcentreinExhibitionHall2,GroundLevel.

c Opening hours

• From8.00to18.30,SundaytoThursday.

• Theself-serviceareawillbeclosedatothertimesforsecurityreasons.

• Technicalassistancewillbeavailableonsitefrom8.00to18.30,SundaytoThursday.

• Telephoneforassistance:+97444707888.

8 Wireless access (Wi-Fi)

• Wi-FiisavailablethroughouttheQNCCbuilding,includinginthemeetinghalls.

• Freetechnicalassistancewillbeavailable.

a Password

• AccesstotheWi-Finetworkisprotectedbyausernameandpassword,whichmustbeenteredthefirsttimedelegatesattempttoconnectwithanInternetbrowser.

• Name(SSID):UPUCONGRESS .

• Loginandpassword:upudelegate .

b Technical assistance

• AvailableonLevel-1(Wi-FistandnexttotheInternetarea).

• Telephone:+97444707252(8.00to18.30,SundaytoThursday).

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9 Photocopying, fax and telephone services

a Business centre • AbusinesscentreforusebydelegatesisavailableattheQNCC.

• Thecentreoffersphotocopying,faxandtelephoneservices.

• Businesscentreservicesmaybechargedfor.

b Location of business centre

• Level1,mainfoyer

• Telephone:+97444707155

• Hours:8.00to18.30

c Mobile phones, equipment and technical assistance

• QatarTelecom(Qtel)willhaveakioskattheQNCC,wheredelegatescanbuyandreloadpre-paid cards .

• Location:GroundLevel

• Hours:8.00to18.30

10 Postal services

Qatar Post will operate a post office counter at the QNCC, offering a range of services .

a Location

• GroundLevel

• Telephone:+97444707836

• Hours:8.00to18.30

b Services available at the post office

• EMS,registeredandparcelservices;

• Saleofpostagestampsandmobilepre-paid(Hala)cards;

• Outgoingmail:returnofworkingdocumentstohomecountryusing“postalservice”bags;

• Handingoutofkeysforpigeonholes;

• Handingoutofkeysforstoragelockers.

c Free postage offered by Qatar Post on the following terms

• Eachdelegatewill receive a voucher inhis/herwelcomebag,giving thepossibility ofsending back free of charge one shipment up to 20 kg .

• Bagsmaybeprepared(materialsavailable)onthegroundlevelbehindthepostofficecounters and must be handed over at the counter .

• Otheritemsorservices(registered,etc.)willbechargedtothedelegate.

d Incoming mail

• Onepigeonholeperdelegationwillbeavailableforitemsaddressedtomembersofthedelegation(“postalservice”bagsdeliveredbyarrangement).

• LocationatQNCC:GroundLevel.

• Keystopigeonholesavailablefromthepostofficecounter.

• Advanceinformationonexpectedbags:pigeonholeservice,tel:+97444707836.

• Uponarrivalof“postal service”bagsat theofficeofexchange,anotificationwill beplaced inthedelegation’spigeonhole.Thedelegationwillbeaskedtocontact thepi-geonholeservice(tel:+97444707836)toarrangeadeliverydateandtime.

• Bagsmaybestoredforshortperiods(maximum24hours)behindthepostofficecounter.

• Procedurefordistributionandcollectionofsouvenirs:seesection12.

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11 Banking and money exchange service

• Anumberofautomatictellermachines(ATMs)areavailableonsite.

12 Gifts and souvenirs

a Counter for collection of souvenirs • Aspecialcounterwillbeavailableforthecollectionofsouvenirsofferedbydelegations,

onpresentationofvouchersdeliveredtopigeonholes(owingtothesizeofthepigeon-holes,theycannotbeusedforthedeliveryofsouvenirs).

• Delegationswishingtooffersouvenirsareaskedtocontactthepostofficecounteronthegroundlevel(whichcansupplypersonalizedvouchersforallCongressparticipantsanddistributethemtothepigeonholes).

• Thesouvenirsinquestionshouldbehandedovertotheservicebeforethevouchersaredistributed to the pigeonholes .

• Delegationsshouldindicatetothepigeonholeservicewhethersurplus itemsaretobereturned to the delegation .

b Location of counter

• GroundLevelEast

• Openinghours:8.00to18.30

13 Information materials from member countries

a Pigeonholes are exclusively reserved for:

• OfficialcommunicationsfromtheCongressSecretariat;

• Invitations;

• Vouchersforsouvenirs/gifts.

b Promotion of candidates for elections

• Thedistributionofanypromotionalmaterials(brochures,flyers,philatelicitems,statements/declarations,etc.)frommembercountries,includingmaterialspromotingcandidatesfortheelectionsoftheDirectorGeneral,DeputyDirectorGeneralandUPUbodies(CouncilofAd-ministration,PostalOperationsCouncilandConsultativeCommittee,andtheirchairmen)isstrictlyprohibitedinsidethemeetinghalls.Iffound,anysuchmaterialwillberemovedanddestroyed .

• Thedistributionofmaterialandthedisplayofbanners,photos,posters,andaudio/videoor electronic messages aimed at promoting candidates for the elections will be allowed only at the venues of events and receptions hosted by the candidates .

• TheuseoftheUPUlogobycandidatesfortheelectionsofDirectorGeneral,DeputyDi-rectorGeneralandthepermanentbodiesoftheUPUisstrictlyprohibitedbytheCodeoftheEmblem,NameandInitialsoftheUPU.

c Reserved area for member country information

• Areservedarea(“Membercountryinformation”)willbeprovided,wheremembercoun-tries and designated operators can display information about postal-related activities and services . However, material that promotes candidates for the elections will also be strictly prohibited in this reserved area .

• Nomembercountryinformationwillbeallowedinthemeetinghalls.Iffound,anysuchinformation will be removed and destroyed .

• To displaymaterial in the reserved area, delegations should contact the InternationalBureausecretariat(andreas .kerll@upu .int or rheal .leblanc@upu .int).

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14 Halls for restricted meetings

a Capacity and location

• Fivesmallerhalls(U-shaped)withacapacityrangingbetween26and40seatsareavail-able for rent at the QNCC on an hourly basis .

• ThesehallsarelocatedonLevel1(rooms101,102,104,105and106).

b Equipment and services

• ThesehallsareallequippedwithLCDscreens.

c Rental and payment

• TherentalratesformeetingroomsandadditionalservicesareavailableontheUPUweb-site:http://dohacongress.upu.int/participation/practical-info/ .

• Furtherinquiriesshouldbeaddressedtopr@doha25congress .com .qa . Alternatively, you maycontacttheinformationdeskduringCongress(tel:+94744707888).

15 Offices and work areas

• Alimitednumberofofficesareavailableforrent.

• Therentalratesforofficespace,furnitureandequipmentareavailableontheUPUweb-site:http://dohacongress.upu.int/participation/practical-info/ .

• Furtherinquiriesshouldbeaddressedtopr@doha25congress .com .qa . Alternatively, you maycontacttheinformationdeskduringCongress(tel:+94744707888).

16 Food and drink

a Coffee service

• Coffeeservicewillbeprovidedfreeofchargeduringmeetingbreaksoutsidethemainmeeting halls .

• Thereareopportunities formembercountries tohostcoffeebreaks.See thecalendarforavailabledatesandcontactdetailsontheUPUwebsite:http://dohacongress.upu.int/ participation/practical-info/ .

b Restaurants

• Thereisaself-servicerestaurantonthegroundlevel,ExhibitionHall6. It isopenfrom11.45to14.30(possibleextensionuntil15.00,ifrequired).

• TherestaurantonLevel1,servinghotandcoldsnacksanddrinks,isopenfrom8.00to18.00.

• Methodsofpaymentaccepted:cash(QAR)andcreditcards.

• For informationabout reservations in theself-service restaurantorcateringservices inmeetinghalls,contactJyothiJoseph(+97430277038, jyjoseph@qatarconvention .com).

c Receptions

• ThecalendarofreceptionsisavailableontheUPUwebsite:http://dohacongress.upu.int/participation/practical-info/ .

• Toreserveadateonthecalendar,contactDanielLeGoff,UPU(daniel .legoff@upu .int).

• TobookareceptionattheQNCC,contactTrevorMcCartney,QNCC(+97444707050,tmccartney@qatarconvention .com).

• TobookareceptioninanothervenueoutsidetheQNCC,contactJulieAtkinson,QMDI(+97444548000,+9746608-9742(mobile),julie .atkinson@qmdi .qf .org .qa).

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17 Prayer room MaleandfemaleprayerroomsareavailableattheQNCConthegroundlevelandLevel1.

18 Travel service

Qatar Airways is operating a customer service counter on the ground level of the QNCC .

• Openinghours:8.00to18.30.

• Website:www .qatarairways .com .qa .

19 Photography service

a Photos for official use• Thesecretariatwillengageprofessionalphotographersforitsownneeds(picturesforthe

media,theUPUwebsite,UPUpublications,etc.).• Aselectionofphotosofofficialevents(openingandclosingofCongress,plenarysessions

andotherimportanthappenings)willbepublishedwiththeCongressnewsontheUPUwebsite .

• Thisservicewillnotbeavailabletomembercountriesordelegates.

b Photo needs of member countries

• Toaccommodatetheneedsofmembercountriesanddelegates,aphotographyservicewill be available at the QNCC . Delegations that would like to have photos taken during restricted meetings, bilateral meetings and receptions can make use of this service, at their own expense .

• Thephotoservicecounterislocatedonthegroundlevel.

• Contact:MrAbdullahHassan, Proscreen (tel: +97433770260; e-mail:abdullah@the proscreen .com).

D. General information and facilities outside the Congress venue

1 Banking and foreign exchange

• The official currency is theQatari riyal (QAR),which is divided into 100 dirham. The exchangeratehasbeenfixedat1USD=3.64QAR.Qataririyalnotesinthefollowingdenominationsareincirculation:1,5,10,50,100and500.

• Mostmajor international credit cards arewidely accepted (e.g. Visa,MasterCard andAmericanExpress).

• Qatarhasmorethan100bankbranches,andtherearehundredsofATMsacross thecountry.MostvisitorstoQatarcanaccessfundsintheirhomeaccountsbyusingtheirbankcardsattheATMs.

• Bankhours:7.30to13.30,SundaytoThursday;somebranchesareopenalldayinsideshopping centres .

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2 Health and safety

Comparedwithothercitiesofsimilarsizeintheworld,theincidenceofcrimeinDoharemainslow.TheGovern-ment of Qatar maintains a high police profile, with large numbers of police and plain-clothed officers on the street . Although street crime is rare, it does take place . Assaults are rare . Certain sensible precautions should betaken:

• AvoiddisplayingCongressbadgesprominentlyawayfromtheQNCC;

• Carryidentification(passport)atalltimes;

• Befamiliarwithrouteswhenmovingtoandfromlocations;

• FollowthedirectionsoftheQataripoliceandobeylocaltrafficlaws;

• Avoidunfamiliarareasoftownwhenalone.

3 Emergency numbers

• Police:999(Policestation:AlRayyan,Doha)

• Trafficpolice:999

• Fire:999

• Ambulance:999

4 Hospitals

• HamadMedicalCorporation OffAlRayyanRoad(OppositeLuluCentre) Doha, Qatar Tel:+97444394444 Emergency:999

• AlAhliHospital Ahmed Bin Ali Street Doha, Qatar Tel:+97444898888 E-mail:info@ahlihospital .com

5 Electricity and telecommunication

• Electricity: Thevoltageis220–240voltswithafrequencyof50Hertz.Britishstandardplugs are used .

• Country dialling code: The country code for Qatar is 974 .

• Mobile telephony: QatarTelecom(Qtel)andVodafonearethetwomobilephoneserviceproviders in Qatar . They both offer international direct dialling to most countries . Travel-ers with international roaming may connect via these service providers for calls and text messages.PrepaidSIMcardsareavailableatallQtelandVodafoneservicecentres,shopsandauthorizeddealers.Simplyshowacopyofyourpassportandcompletetheregistra-tion form .

• Internet: MosthotelsofferInternetconnections.QtelHotspotscanalsobeaccessedatselectedlocationsthroughprepaidHotspotcards.LocationsincludeSouqWaqif,varioushotels, cafes and the Diplomatic Club . Access cards, valid for one year, can be purchased atHotspotlocationsandcostfrom30–70QAR.

• Wireless Internet access (iParks): Wi-Fi is available free of charge at many coffee shops andinpublicparks,includingDoha’sSheratonPark,AlRumailaParkandDahlAlHamamPark .

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6 Time, weather and clothing

• Local time and working hours: Qatar local time is three hours ahead of Greenwich MeanTime(GMT),withnodaylightsavingsadjustments.TheworkingweekinQatarrunsfromSundaytoThursday,withFridayandSaturdayasdaysoff.Governmentministries’working hours are from 7 .00 to 14 .00, Sunday to Thursday .

• Climate: Qatar benefits from year-round sunshine, with temperatures ranging from 25ºC (74ºF)upto45ºC(113ºF)insummer.ThebestmonthstoenjoyQatar’spleasantweatherarebetweenOctoberandMay.DuringSeptemberandOctober,temperatureswillrangebetween30ºCand40ºConaverage.Mostbuildingsandvehiclesareairconditioned,including the Congress venue, and it is advisable to always have a light jacket on hand .

• Clothing:Menandwomenshoulddressmodestly.Swimsuitsandbeachwearareac-ceptable at hotel pools and beaches, but it is not appropriate to expose the body in other public areas . Tops and shirts should cover the shoulders and upper arms, and skirts or shorts should fall to or below the knee . Women are not obliged to cover their hair .

7 Shopping

• Dohahasvariousshoppingareas,thelargestofwhichareLandmarkMall,CityCentreMall,TheMall,RoyalPlaza,HyattPlaza,LagoonaMallandSouqWaqif.

• Businesshoursofshopsvarybutaregenerallyfrom8.30to12.30andfrom16.00to21 .00, although shopping malls tend to be open all day between the hours of 10 .00 and 22 .00 . Some shops do not open at all on Fridays, while others open for a few hours early inthemorningandre-openinthelateafternoon.Mostshoppingmallsandlargecentresopen only around 16 .00 on Fridays .

8 Cuisine and restaurants

• Qatarprovidesadiversecollectionofinternationalcuisinesandthechancetotrysomeexciting Arabic food . Situated at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa, the Arab world displays the influence of all three regions in the number and variety of dishes in its traditional cuisine .

• Formoreinformation,visit:www.qatartourism.gov.qa/plan/index/1/185 .

9 Recreation and excursions

• Withthesunshiningeverydayandasurprisinglyrichecology,Qataroffersanengagingnatural environment to explore . The surrounding desert provides a great deal of interest andadventurewithsuchnaturallandmarksastheDhalAlMisfir,DesertRosesandtheSingingSandDunes.Morethan25%oftheQatariterritoryislistedasanaturalreserve.

• Dohaishometomanylargegrassyareasandparks,offeringfunandrelaxationforfami-lies,walkersandjoggers.Doha’sfamous8km-longCornicheoffersapanoramicviewofthecapital.Linedwithpalmtrees,thispromenadeislovelyatnight,whenthelightsofDoha’sskylinearereflectedacrossDohaBay.Severalhotels,governmentministriesandtheEmir’sworkingpalacearelocatedalongtheroute.Oppositethepalace,traditionalwooden boats are moored in the fishing harbour . Also accessed from the Corniche are theMuseumofIslamicArt,SouqWaqif,AlRumeilaParkandtheQatarNationalTheatre.

• FormoreinformationonwhatDohaandQatarhavetooffer,visit: http://www.qatartourism.gov.qa/ .

• SealineBeachResort:http://merweb-hotel.com/index.php?option=com_content&view= article&id=24&Itemid=14 .

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10 Places of worship

• Mosques are generally formen, but there is a section for women inmost of them.MosquesintheareaincludetheStatemosque(neartheTVroundabout),theAlWakramosque(inAlWakracity)andAbubakermosque(nexttoAlSharqVillage).

• ForinformationonCatholicchurches,visitwww .rosarychurchqatar .com .