INTRODUCTION

The fourth meeting of the Conference on Science, Innovation and Information and Communications Technologies will be held on 4 and 5 April 2024 in Bogotá.

This document is intended to provide delegates with useful information to facilitate their work at the meeting.

The meeting coordinators will be available to answer any questions concerning logistical or organizational matters, before or during the event.

1. General information on Bogotá 

Colombia is located in the northwestern part of South America. Its capital and most populous city is Bogotá.    

Bogotá is the third-highest capital in the world (after La Paz and Quito), sitting at an average elevation of 2,625 metres above sea level. It is located in central Colombia, in an area known as the Bogotá savannah, on the high plains of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense in the Cordillera Oriental of the Andes. It extends 33 km from north to south and 16 km from east to west.

Language

The official language is Spanish. Many Colombians also speak English.

Climate

Bogotá has a mountainous climate, with little temperature variation owing to its low latitude. The annual average temperature is 13.7 °C, with lows of 5 °C and highs of 19 °C.

Because of its proximity to the equator, Bogotá has four main seasons, two rainy and two dry, with abundant rainfall from March to May and in October and November.

Useful information for your stay

2. Meeting venue

The fourth meeting of the Conference on Science, Innovation and Information and Communications Technologies will be held at the Hotel Grand Hyatt in Bogotá. Hotel information is included below.

Hotel Grand Hyatt Bogotá
Grand Ballroom
Address: Calle 24A #57 – 60, Bogotá
Tel.: (+57) 601 6541234

The opening session of the meeting will be held at 11 a.m. on 4 April at Palacio de Nariño, the official residence of the President of Colombia. The host country will provide round-trip transportation between the hotel and the meeting at Palacio de Nariño, departing from the Hotel Grand Hyatt at 8 a.m.

3. Meeting coordination

The meeting is organized by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

Questions on substantive matters related to the meetings should be addressed to Nicolo Gligo, Economic Affairs Officer in the Division of Production, Productivity and Management of ECLAC (nicolo.gligo@cepal.org).

Questions on logistical matters should be addressed to Margarita de Igarzábal (margarita.deigarzabal@cepal.org).

4. Hotel reservations

Participants are responsible for making their own reservations at a hotel of their choosing. 

5. Requirements for entering Colombia

Visitors entering the country must bring a valid passport, as well as the meeting invitation letter and organization of work for review by airport immigration and security officials.

In addition, customs officials may randomly select visitors to provide proof of their financial solvency during the length of their stay in Colombia. The invitation letter from ECLAC should suffice, but participants should bear in mind that this process is subject to the discretion of immigration authorities. 

Cuba, Haiti and Nicaragua are the only countries not exempt from the visa requirement. Visitors from those countries must apply online for a courtesy "V" visa for international commitments. This must be done exclusively via the online application, available at https://tramitesmre.cancilleria.gov.co/tramites/enlinea/solicitarVisa.xhtml

6. Local transport

Participants are responsible for their own round-trip transport between the hotel and the airport. 

• Authorized taxi services: https://eldorado.aero/servicios/taxis
• Taxis Libre (safe taxi services in Bogotá): https://www.taxislibres.com.co/
• TaxExpress (safe taxi services in Bogotá): https://taxexpress.com.co/

International mobile applications such as Uber and Cabify may also be used.

7. Registration

Online registration for participants will be available from 1 to 29 March 2024 on the meeting website (https://innovalac.cepal.org/4). 

After registration, participants will receive an automatic confirmation of receipt. Once the registration request has been approved, a “confirmation of acceptance” email is sent, which must be presented along with an identification document when picking up credentials.

Online registration of government representatives does not exempt delegations from the formal requirement to provide official notification indicating the names of the head of delegation and of all accompanying members.

Participants may collect their credentials in the Grand Ballroom of the Hotel Grand Hyatt Bogotá (Calle 24A #57 – 60, Bogotá) from 4 to 7 p.m. on 3 April. Credentials must be picked up in person, upon presentation of an identification document. For security reasons, participants will be required to wear their badges in order to attend meetings. Badges must remain visible during the meeting.

8. Internet

The offices and conference rooms set aside for the meeting will have wireless Internet access (WiFi).

9. Languages

The official language of the meeting will be Spanish. Simultaneous interpretation will be provided into English.