Frequently Asked Questions

How do I register?

All participants (official delegates, representatives of the international and non-governmental organizations) need to register through the official web site of the conference. Without registration, it is not possible to participate in the conference. There is no registration cost.

In order to register, please follow these steps:

  • Access the web site www.1300000.net and enter the section “For participants”, following on to the “Registration Form” section.
  • Enter the login and password that can be found in the invitation letter. The invitations have been sent:
    • by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation to Russian Embassies in countries and then forwarded to the competent authorities;
    • by the Ministry of Interior of the Russian Federation to moderator/chairs/speakers; or
    • by the World Health Organization to international and non-governmental organizations.
  • Enter the required information in the registration form: name (If your name includes accents or other symbols, please don't use these when registering), country, number of delegates, name, position, company/organization, address, email, phone number, arrival and departure date, need for assistance for booking the accommodation, which panel discussion you wish to attend, and if you plan to send informative material at the conference. For those participants in need of a visa, an additional set of information is requested.
  • The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation will then confirm that delegations submitting the information match with the list of the invited government delegations, international organizations, non-governmental organizations and other attendees previously approved by the same Ministry and by the Organizing Committees.
  • Once this information has been verified, an email confirming the registration is sent by the conference organizers.
  • Only after the registration confirmation has been received is it possible to proceed with booking accommodation.

Please, be sure that the Russian Embassy in your country is informed about your participation in the conference.

How can I obtain an entry Visa for the Russian Federation?

The conference organizers will not send special letters facilitating the request for a visa. However, one of the following types of documentation is valid to obtain a visa:

  • A copy of the letter sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the participant’s country to the Russian Embassy;
  • The invitation letter signed by the Ministry of Interior of the Russian Federation to the chairman/moderator/speaker of the plenary sessions or panel discussions;
  • The letter sent by the World Health Organization to international and non-governmental organizations;
  • A printout of the communication confirming your successful conference registration through the official web site.

The conference organizers recommend that you submit your visa application to the competent issuing authority in your county no earlier than one month prior to the conference.

Are there special rates for the hotel stay that has been arranged for the conference participants?

Yes, there are. Special rates at the hotels listed below are available for conference participants. Please note that these rates only apply if the hotel is booked before October 15th.

  • Crowne Plaza hotel (5 stars) is located in the complex of the World Trade Centre where the conference will be held. Distance to the Kremlin/Red Square: 5 km; to the conference venue: 0 km. Price per room (either single or double): 7500 RUB ($ 250) including VAT. Breakfast not included (price for breakfast 1100  RUB ($ 35))
  • Golden Ring hotel (5 stars) is located on the "Garden Ring", one of the busiest roads in Moscow, close to the pedestrian street "Old Arbat". Distance to the Kremlin/Red Square: 3 km; to the conference venue: 2 km. Price per room: 7500 RUB ($ 250) for single room including VAT. Additional 590 RUB are required ($ 20) for double room. Breakfast not included (price for breakfast 1300  RUB ($ 43))
  • Radisson SAS Slavyanskaya hotel (4 stars) is on the banks of the Moscow River and adjacent to Kievskaya Railway station. Distance to the Kremlin/Red Square: 3 km; to the conference venue: 3 km. Price per room: 7500 RUB ($ 250) for single room, including VAT and breakfast; 8680 RUB ($ 290) for double room, including VAT and breakfast.
  • Soyuz hotel, located in the northern area of Moscow. Distance to the Kremlin/Red Square: 18 km; to the conference venue: 18 km. Price per room: 4270 RUB ($ 140) for single economic room, 4800 RUB ($ 160) for double economic room; 6500 RUB ($ 215) for single deluxe room, 6900 RUB ($ 230) for double deluxe room. These prices include VAT and breakfast. NOTE: it will take approximately an hour to travel from this hotel to the conference facility.
  • Izmailovo (Gamma Delta) hotel is located in the north-eastern part of Moscow. Distance to the Kremlin/Red Square: 10 km; to the conference venue: 15 km. Price per room (double): 3600 RUB ($ 120) including VAT for an economy double room or 4200 RUB ($140) including VAT for a deluxe room. These prices do not include breakfast. NOTE: it will take approximately an hour to travel from this hotel to the conference facility.

How do I make a reservation to one of these hotels?

In order to get the special rates arranged for the conference participants you have to book your accommodation through the conference web site (www.1300000.net) and before October 15th.

Booking the accommodation through the web site is possible only once your registration process has been completed. Once you have received an email confirming registration (see also “Registration”), you can enter the section “For Participants” and then “Accommodation”. Choose one of the five hotels mentioned below.

Once you have decided which hotel you want to say in, click the button “Book”. You will be asked for the name and email address that you used for the registration process (you have to use exactly the same name(s) and surname). Only those participants who have successfully registered for the conference will be directed to the form for booking accommodation. After submitting the booking form, the hotel will send you an email confirming the reservation. Thereafter the hotel will send you a request for credit card details as a deposit.

Please also note that all participants are expected to pay for their own accommodation either through private means or with the per diem provided to them through the travel fund for the lowest-income countries.

Do I need a credit card to book the hotel?

Not necessarily. The Soyuz hotel (18km from the city centre) does not require credit card information to register guests. Those participants without credit cards should take advantage of this option.

Participants booking at any other hotel have to provide credit card details to ensure that the reservation is valid.

Is there a travel fund for low-income countries?

A travel fund has been established with the financial assistance of the governments of Australia, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom; the FIA Foundation; and the World Bank. The fund is managed by WHO, and will support the travel and per diem costs of two government representatives from each of the 49 lowest-income economies. While delegations from these countries may be larger in number, the travel fund can only support the costs of two government representatives from each country. The fund will support travel for one person in business class (head of delegation) and one person in economy class and per diem for both for the duration of their stay in Moscow as relates to the Ministerial Conference.

The following is a list of the 49 lowest-income economies (as categorized by the World Bank in March 2009):

Afghanistan, Haiti, Rwanda, Bangladesh, Kenya, São Tomé and Principe, Benin, Korea, Dem Rep. Senegal, Burkina Faso, Kyrgyz Republic, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Lao PDR, Solomon Islands, Cambodia, Liberia, Somalia, Central African Republic, Madagascar, Tajikistan, Chad, Malawi, Tanzania, Comoros, Mali, Togo, Congo, Dem. Rep Mauritania, Uganda, Côte d'Ivoire, Mozambique, Uzbekistan, Eritrea, Myanmar, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Nepal, Yemen, Rep. Gambia, The Niger, Zambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Guinea, Pakistan, Guinea-Bissau, Papua New Guinea.

Where will the conference be held?

The conference will be held at the World Trade Centre in Moscow. It is located in one of the major business districts of the western part of the city, about 5 km from the Kremlin.

The nearest metro stations are “Ulitsa 1905 Goda” (on metro line n.7/purple line) and “Delovoy Tsentr” (named also “Vystavocnaja” on metro line n.4/light blue line). Both stations are about 1,5 km away from the World Trade Centre. For more information on the World Trade Centre participants can visit the web site: www.wtcmoscow.ru/eng/about/default.aspx

Will there be buses arranged by conference organizers from the hotels to the conference venue?

Buses arranged by the conference organizers will convey participants to the conference venue from the following hotels: Golden Ring, Radisson SAS Slavyanskaya, Soyuz, Izmailovo (Gamma Delta). These buses will be free of charge and will operate on the days of the conference only.

Buses will be leaving from the hotels in time to arrive for the conference. You are kindly requested to check the bus schedule upon your arrival at the hotel.

No buses will operate from/to the hotels/conference venue during the lunch breaks.

Will there be social events during the conference?

On Wednesday 18 November 2009, the conference organizers will host an official reception (concert and buffet) at the International House of Music of Moscow. This event is reserved for the Heads of Delegations only and further information will be provided to them directly. The invitation for this event can be found in the conference packet that each Head of Delegation will receive from the Embassy of his/her country.

On Thursday 19 November, the conference organizers will host an official reception (buffet) in the hall of the Crowne Plaza hotel. The reception will start upon completion of conference sessions. This event is open to all participants and no invitation is needed.

Is the conference centre accessible to people with disabilities?

The World Trade Centre is accessible to people with disabilities. Entrance n.3 is wheelchair accessible. Volunteers will be available at any time during the conference to accompany people with disabilities inside the conference venue.

In which languages will the conference be conducted?

The conference will be conducted in all six UN official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. Simultaneous translation in all these languages will be provided during plenary sessions and panel discussions. Printed materials will be available in English and Russian.

How can I reach the city centre form the airport?

Moscow has three international airports:

“Aero-express” train connects each airport to the metro stations in the centre of the city, without intermediate stops. Given the heavy traffic of Moscow, the “aero-espress” train is the fastest way to reach the city centre. Participants can check the timetables at the web site: www.aeroexpress.ru/en/

A one-way ticket from any airport to the city centre is 250 RUB ($ 8) and the journey time is 35 minutes to/from Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo and 45 minutes to/from Domodedovo.

There are many taxis available at each airport. However, they tend to be extremely expensive with prices ranging from 3000 to 5000 RUB ($ 100-160) per ride.

It is suggested that participants willing to take a taxi book it in advance through taxi companies with fixed prices.

One of such companies where the receptionists speak English is “Go-to.ru” (www.go-to.ru/en/, phone: +7 903 7004148; prices for an economy class ride is 1450 RUB ($ 47)).

How is the public transport in Moscow?

The metro in Moscow is very efficient with its 12 lines and 177 stations it reaches any place in the city centre. However, non-Russian speaking foreigners may find using the metro difficult as all the signs are only written in Cyrillic.

The metro is open from 5.30 am to 1.00 am. Tickets can be purchased at any metro station and a one time ride costs 22 RUB ($ 0.7). Metro entrances are clearly marked with a large red letter “M”.

During the rush hours the metro is overcrowded and it may be difficult to enter the train cars. However, during daytime the trains run frequently and the waiting time is no more than 1 minute.

For more information on the metro system, the time distance between stations and the metro map participants can visit the official web site: engl.mosmetro.ru

Other transport options include trams and buses, but their use can be difficult for non-Russian speaking visitors as all signs/routes/maps are written in Cyrillic and bus/tram drivers do not speak English.

Please note that the metro and the majority of buses and trams are not wheelchair accessible. People with disabilities are kindly asked to contact the conference organizers (see below “Contact information”) in advance.

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