Initial information on all you need to know to participate!
This page aims to address a wide range of organizational issues related the Third FfD Conference (http://www.un.org/esa/ffd/) and the CSO Forum. In particular, it will cover the following issues:
1. Accreditation to FfD
2. Registration for Third FfD Conference
3. CSO Forum, related registration and financial issues
4. VISA, travel arrangements and logistics in Addis
5. Official programme and CSO participation slots
Please note that this information is based of today’s best knowledge (June 07) and there remain several moving parts. The Addis Ababa CSO COordinating Group (ACG) will promptly be posting updated information whenever changes unfold (to contact the ACG please write to addiscoordinatinggroup@gmail.com)
If you are interested to engage in the civil society FfD process, you are invited to JOIN THE CSO FfD GROUP by visiting the following google groups address and submit the request to join:
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/global-social-economy
Please indicate the name of the organization and the title within the organization. Processing of requests can take 3-5 days.
1. Accreditation to FfD
Should your organization maintain ECOSOC or FFD status, no further accreditation is required (you can jump to the next item). Should you have any doubt, please check the status of your organization by using the appropriate link on the NGLS website or the CSONet. Non-accredited organization had the opportunity to apply for FfD accreditation in preparation for Addis. However, the application window has not closed (deadline was May 31) and no further request for accreditation can be submitted at this stage. Should you organization have applied by the deadline, please note that decision is expected by the third week of June.
2. Registration for Third FfD Conference
Registration for the Addis Conference is now open and can be completed on the following NGLS webpage: https://unngls.org/index.php/ffd3-conference/registration
While accreditation is institutional, registration to FFD3 is individual and needs to be completed by each individual participant. The final deadline is June 23, 2015. Please note that registration for the CSO Forum is separate and can be completed on this same website (see instructions below).
Registration for the Third FfD Conference is fairly simple and straight-forward, though each participants needs to attach an official letter from the organization in the name of which s/he is registering that confirms s/he is an official delegate of that organization. The letter may acknowledge a single participant or the full list of the delegation of the said organization. Once registration is completed, an official letter will be issued by FFDO/NGLS (on a weekly basis) confirming registration to the Third FfD Conference in order for it to be used for VISA purposes, if necessary.
PLEASE NOTE! As organisations applying for accreditation are expected to hear about their accreditation very shortly before the Conference, they may not be able to register and get the official letter in time for visa applications etc. Many Organisations with ECOSOC/FFD accreditation have indicated that they are willing to include colleagues from organisations who are non-accredited/whose accreditation is still pending in their delegations. If your organization is not accredited/in the process of accreditation and you have not yet found an organisation who can add you to their delegation, please contact the ACG and we will facilitate your inclusion in another delegation (a section of the CSO Forum registration is devoted to this). Please note that when completing the registration as part of another organization’s delegation, you will need to exclusively refer to that organization in the registration form. Indicating affiliation to your organization rather then the one that hosts you in its delegation will result in the rejection of your registration.
3. CSO Forum, related registration and financial issues
The CSO Forum will take place in Addis Ababa on July 11-12. Participants are invited to arrive on July 10 as an opening reception is expected to tae place in the evening of that day. Your are invited to complete your registration as soon as possible at the following link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1mCQYkRgY5G92CuOJw0xQbwhKUCf1Gyb3KH8ykV24AXM/viewform
Registration for the CSO Forum includes a section of funding requirements (though it is important to be aware that funds are really limited) as well as a section devoted to those participants seeking assistance for their registration to the main conference, as explained above.
More information on the CSO Forum venue and programme will be posted in the relevant section of this website as soon as possible. The ACG is working hard to secure financial resources that would cover the cost of the Forum and enable the participation of organisations for whom financial resources will be an obstacle to participate in the Forum. In the extreme event that we are unable to secure sufficient financial support from donors, we may consider setting a “progressive” participation fee to be applied to different categories of organizations to cover the costs of organising the forum.
Needless to say, we welcome any voluntary financial contributions from organisations to the general budget that has been drawn up or offers of assistance to approach official donors to support the organisation of the CSO Forum and participation of organisations financial resources will be an obstacle to participate in the Forum. We will also continue pressing for financial assistance for CSO participation from the UN Trust Fund.
4. VISA, travel arrangements and logistics in Addis
The Ethiopian Government provided significant reassurances to the ACG regarding VISA procedures. The following procedures will apply:
- All official residents in countries with Ethiopian Embassy/Consulate are invited to apply and collect their VISA before travelling to Addis. Please contact the Ethiopian Embassy/Consulate for more precise information on procedure and opening hours. The key document to be presented is the confirmation of registration that you will receive from NGLS/FFDO once your registration is completed;
- All official residents in countries without Ethiopian consular services will be eligible to VISA-on-Arrival in Addis. In order to ensure that you do not incur problems with airlines, an official letter confirming this special conference arrangement will be attached to the confirmation of registration which will be provided by NGLS/FFDO;
- Nationals of countries normally eligible to VISA-on-Arrival are also encouraged to apply for a VISA before the conference, if the country of residence hosts Ethiopian consular services.
Beyond VISA, we also encourage you to firm-up travel plans as soon as possible as flights are limited and will soon be fully booked. As hotels in convenient locations are being rapidly booked by the Government, the UN and Governmental delegations, it will be impossible for us to make a block bookings for CSOs in a single hotel or help with finding hotel rooms. If you have not yet done so, please proceed to find accommodation immediately, considering that the location of th CSO Forum will presumably be in the immediate surroundings of UNECA (where the main conference is hosted). Please find below the link to the Delegates’ Handbook with information on available hotels, though you should also use the usual web-based booking services (though these tend to target the larger hotels and leave out the smaller ones, which you may need to target individually):
http://www.un.org/esa/ffd/ffd3/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/05/Delegates-Handbook.pdf
5. Official programme and CSO participation slots
The Conference will take place at the premises of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). The programme (please find below the provisional timetable and the GA Resolution on the Addis Modalities) is based on 8 blocks or half-day sessions:
Draft GA res_Further modalities FFD Conference_A.69.L.62
With the exception of the opening and closing plenaries, the remaining 6 half-days feature three parallel tracks running at the same time: plenary, main committee in case negotiations will not be concluded in Addis, and roundtable.
The plenary will be open to CSO attendance, though there could be an overflow room in case the number of participants exceeds the capacity of the room. One CSO speaker (maybe two) will address the plenary at the beginning of the first day’s afternoon session, before MS begin their statements, to present to the outcomes of the CSO Forum. We have pressed for more speaking spaces than this one but this may be very difficult to get. Each roundtable (only one happening in each agenda block) will allow up to six civil society representatives with speaking rights plus an equivalent number of representatives that can attend with no speaking rights. The “up-to-six” language means that the actual number is not yet secured. Each roundtable will also include two Co-Chairs, a moderator and up to four panellists. As we are required to provide a list of those with speaking/attendance rights, we will circulate on around more information shortly on how you can apply for such slots and the criteria and short-listing process to reach the final set of names. As mentioned above, there will be space foreseen in the CSO forum to discuss the actual content of CSO interventions during the round-tables.
Civil Society Financing for Development (FfD) MECHANISM 