INTRODUCTION

The Fifth Meeting of the Conference on Science, Innovation and Information and Communications Technologies of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, hosted by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) of Brazil, will be held in person on 24 and 25 November 2026 at the Windsor Plaza Brasilia Hotel in Brasília. 
On this occasion, the Fifth Meeting of the CITIC Conference will be held jointly with the Latin America and the Caribbean Open Science Forum (CILAC), led by UNESCO, which will take place from 24 to 26 November, and in coordination with Brazil’s National Science and Technology Week, convened by MCTI, which will be held during the same week. 
This document is intended to provide delegations with useful information to facilitate their work at this Meeting.
The Meeting coordinators will be available to answer any questions concerning logistical or organizational matters, before or during the event.

1. General information

Geographical location

Brazil is located in eastern South America. According to data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, as of 1 July 2024, it is the fifth-largest country in the world, with a total area of 8,511,965 km and an estimated population of 212.6 million. It shares borders with 10 other South American countries and territories and has one of the longest continuous coastlines of any country, measuring 7,491 km.
Brasília is the capital of Brazil and of the country’s Federal District. Located in the Brazilian highlands in the central-western region, it was built at the initiative of President Juscelino Kubitschek to replace Rio de Janeiro as the nation’s capital, and was inaugurated in 1960.
With 2.8 million inhabitants, Brasília is the third-largest city in Brazil, after São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. A planned city, it was designed by Lúcio Costa, Oscar Niemeyer and Joaquim Cardozo in 1956, with numbered blocks and sectors for specific activities, such as the hotel, banking and embassy sectors.
In 1987, its modernist architecture and unique, artistic urban planning prompted the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to include Brasília on the World Heritage List. Deemed a Creative City of Design by UNESCO, it became part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in 2017. The city was designed to resemble an airplane, with its main thoroughfare, two broad avenues on either side of a large park, forming the fuselage. Plaza de los Tres Poderes, located where the cabin would be, is surrounded by the buildings of the three branches of government. The legal status of Brasília is unique: it is an administrative region rather than a municipality, like other cities in Brazil.

Official language

Portuguese is the official language of Brazil.

Climate

Owing to its location, most of Brazil has a tropical climate, with some temperate regions in the south of the country. Brasília has a savannah or inland tropical climate, with daytime temperatures ranging from 14oC to 28oC and two well-defined seasons: one rainy (October to March) and one dry (June to August).

Useful information for your stay

2. Meeting venue

The Fifth Meeting of the Conference on Science, Innovation and ITC will be held at the Windsor Plaza Brasília Hotel:
Windsor Plaza Brasilia Hotel
SHS Quadra 05 Bloco H - Asa Sul
Brasília, DF, Brazil
Telephone: +55 61 2195-1100

3. Meeting coordination

The meeting is organized by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), and hosted by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) of Brazil.
Questions on substantive matters related to the meetings should be addressed to Edwin Ramírez ([email protected]), Paul Wander ([email protected]) y Nicolo Gligo ([email protected]).
Questions on logistical matters should be addressed to Margarita de Igarzábal ([email protected]).

4. Hotel reservations

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

5. Requirements for entering Brazil

Bearers of ordinary, diplomatic or official passports should request their visa, as applicable, at the closest Brazilian embassy or consulate.
See the following link for information on countries whose nationals require a visa to enter Brazil: https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/assuntos/portal-consular/vistos/quadro-geral-de-regime-de-vistos-para-e....
All health requirements, such as compulsory vaccinations, must also be met prior to entering the country. International travellers are advised to update their vaccination status before arriving, in accordance with the vaccination schedules of their country of origin or residence, in particular for yellow fever, polio, measles, rubella, diphtheria and tetanus.

6. Local transport

Participants are responsible for their own roundtrip transport between the airport, the hotel and the meeting venue.
Only registered taxis that are available at the airport should be used. Official taxis are black with horizontal yellow and green stripes on the front doors. They may also be grey and white.
Visitors are advised to use taxi applications and avoid taking a taxi directly in the street, especially at night. Uber, 99 or other applications may be used.

7. Registration

Online registration for participants will be available until Tuesday, 17 November, on the meeting website https://innovalac.cepal.org/5.
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.
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.
For further information on accreditation of participants, please contact Luis Flores ([email protected]) or Carolina Jara ([email protected]).

8. Internet

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

9. Languages

The official languages of the Meeting will be Spanish, English and Portuguese. Simultaneous interpretation will be provided.