Information for Participants (A-Z)

Welcome to the United Nations Climate Change Conference, taking place at the World Conference Center Bonn (WCCB), Bonn, Germany, from 30 April to 10 May 2018. The conference includes the forty-eighth sessions of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation, and the fifth part of the first session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement.

This page answers commonly asked questions and provides a range of information to facilitate your participation and stay during the conference.

The local tourism board Tourismus & Congress GmbH Region Bonn, in association with the City of Bonn, provides a wide range of information on regional hotels.and local public transportation.  For further information on how to book a hotel in Bonn, which includes a complimentary free public transportation ticket please see the following booking link for your convenience:

http://www.bonn-region.de/events/bonn-climate-change-conference-may-2018.html

Should you have any questions regarding hotel reservations made through this link, or if you prefer personal assistance throughout the booking process,

Hotel Reservation Hotline
+49 228 910 4133
Ms. Annette Isengard
a.isengard(at)bonn-region.de

Opening hours: Monday, 30 April. to Friday, 4 May.2018 and Monday, 7 to Thursday, 10 May.2018  from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m

Please be informed that the city of Bonn charges accommodation tax on overnight stays. For more information on tax exemption please visit: http://www.bonn-region.de/e

 

Banking services are available from Deutsche Bank located next to the DSA office in room H-034 in the Altes Abgeordnetenhochhaus building on the United Nations Campus from Tuesday, 24 April to Friday, 27 April. As of Monday, 30 April, the bank will be located in the foyer of the main building of the World Conference Center Bonn. The services available include foreign currency exchange into or from euros. A Deutsche Bank cash machine (ATM) is available in the lobby of the Langer Eugen building on the United Nations Campus. Other ATMs in the vicinity of the conference venue are at the Haus der Geschichte museum (Sparkasse ATM) located at Willy-Brandt-Allee 14, and at the Post Tower (Post Bank ATM), located at Platz der Deutschen Post 1. All cash machines are available during working hours.

Bank opening hours during the sessions:

Altes Abgeordnetenhochhaus

Morning

Afternoon

Tuesday

24 April 2018

10.00 – 12.30

13.00 – 14.30

Wednesday

25 April 2018

10.00 – 12.30

13.00 – 14.30

Thursday

26 April 2018

10.00 – 12.30

13.00 – 16.00

Friday

27 April 2018

10.00 – 13.00

closed

 

 

 

 

World Conference Center Bonn

Morning

Afternoon

Monday

30 April 2018

10.00 – 12.30

13.00 – 16.00

Tuesday

01 May 2018

Public holiday

Public holiday

Wednesday

02 May 2018

10.00 – 12.30

13.00 – 14.30

Thursday

03 May 2018

10.00 – 12.30

13.00 – 16.00

Friday

04 May 2018

10.00 – 13.00

closed

 

 

 

 

Monday

07 May 2018

10.00 – 12.30

13.00 – 16.00

Tuesday

08 May 2018

10.00 – 12.30

13.00 – 14.30

Wednesday

09 May 2018

10.00 – 12.30

13.00 – 14.30

Thursday

10 May 2018

Public holiday

Public holiday

 

The bank is closed for lunch each day from 12 p.m. to 12.30 p.m

Currency: 1 euro = approximately USD 0.815 (indicative rate as of 01 March 2018)

 

The local tourism board Tourismus & Congress GmbH Region Bonn, in association with the City of Bonn, provides a wide range of information material next to the UNFCCC information desk.

It offers information on tourist attractions in and around Bonn, as well as on local public transportation and regional hotels.

If you would like to browse some information online, please see the following website for more information on tourism facts and figures

http://www.bonn-region.de/en/

For personal assistance on questions on tourism-related topics contact the Bonn Tourist Information office in the city centre:

Bonn-Information

Windeckstraße 1 (near Münsterplatz)

53111 Bonn

Tel: +49 (0)228 775 000

http://www.bonn.de/tourismus_kultur_sport_freizeit/tourist_information_aktuell/tourismus_und_hotels/11729/index.html?lang=en

https://www.google.de/maps/place/Bonn+Information/@50.7344983,7.0959694,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x47bee1a1e796c4cd:0x398215b52dca26bd!8m2!3d50.7344983!4d7.0981581?dcr=0.

Electricity: 220 volts, 50 Hz

European plugs with two circular metal pins are used.

Local time: GMT + 1 hour

 

Postal services

Post office at Post Tower

Charles-de-Gaulle-Str. 20

53113 Bonn

Opening hours

Monday to Friday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday:10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Post office in the city centre

Münsterplatz 17

53111 Bonn

Opening hours

Monday to Friday: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Opening hours

Snack point near meeting room Bangkok:  7:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. 

Snack point near Chamber Hall: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Warm lunch in Rhine level:  12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

For suggestions on where to eat in Bonn, please pick up a copy of the “BonnJour” leaflet available at the Bonn Tourism & Congress display in the service area on the ground floor of the main building or search Google for “Where to eat in Bonn”.

 

Food and beverages are not permitted inside any of the meeting rooms. However, reception-style catering can be arranged in the Club Lounge. If you wish to order catering, please liaise directly with the catering company servicing the venue at least one week before the catering is needed:

Broich Premium Catering GmbH

worldccbonn@broichcatering.com

The organizer must coordinate with the caterer to ensure that all food and beverages are served either in the Club Lounge. It is the responsibility of the organizer to ensure that the Club Lounge is left in good order for the next reception.  Your cooperation is appreciated.

UNFCCC conferences, meetings and events should be professional, respectful and harassment-free environments for all participants. Harassment in any form, including sexual harassment, will not be tolerated. All participants are expected to conduct themselves in a professional and appropriate manner.

The Code of Conduct is available here and contains detailed information on prohibited conduct, complaint and investigation processes as well as possible consequences.

If an incident of prohibited conduct occurs within UN premises, the aggrieved person or witness to the prohibited conduct should promptly report it through the following telephone number: +49 (0) 228 9267 3999. If an incident of prohibited conduct occurs outside UN premises, it should be reported to local security authorities via the following emergency telephone number: 112.

The computer/laptop centres are located on the balcony on the second floor of the main building and on the Rhine level in the plenary building. Computers and high-speed printers are available for participants on a first come, first served basis. The computers have Internet access, word-processing and spreadsheet software.

Computer centre opening hours:

Monday, 30 April to Thursday, 10 May: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

(except Sunday, 6 May – conference premises closed all day)

Please be considerate and allow those who are waiting to use the equipment as well. The equipment is intended for use by all participants.

One card-operated photocopying machine is located at the documents counter in the main building. Copy cards can be purchased at the information desk. In case of technical problems, please contact the staff at the information desk

 

Wireless connectivity

For the best possible Internet connection on your personal device you are advised to:

  • Only select/use the PlugNPlay Wi-Fi service;
  • Disable personal hotspots/tethering;
  • Switch off your Mobile Wi-Fi (MiFi) device if you have one;
  • Avoid areas marked as “Weak Wi-Fi spot”.

Ethernet cables are available at the computer centres for faster wired connectivity and in case of Wi-Fi problems.

Please report any issues to the IT customer support staff located at the computer centres, or call +49 288 815 1200, or look out for the support staff who are easily identifiable in their blue vests marked “IT SUPPORT”.

 

Upon first arrival at the venue, accredited representatives of Parties, observers and the media should proceed to the registration counter located at the entrance to the World Conference Center Bonn, in order to have their photograph taken and complete the registration procedure to receive a conference badge.

Badges are issued to representatives of Parties or observer organizations on the basis of a letter of nomination/confirmation from a Party or observer organization.

Press badges are issued to accredited press representatives on presentation of a valid press card and identification document (e.g. a passport). Press badges allow access to all public meetings and sessions unless indicated otherwise.

Double registration for the sessions is not permitted (e.g. a participant may not be registered simultaneously as a nominee of a Party and of an observer organization, or simultaneously as a nominee of a Party and a press/media representative). Early collection of conference badges on Sunday, 29 April 2018 is highly recommended to avoid delays on the first day of the sessions.

Should you have any comments or corrections regarding your personal details please contact

Ms. Eva Kulage at the registration counter.

Registration counter opening hours:

At United Nations Campus (for pre-sessional meetings only)

Monday, 23 April to Saturday, 28 April 2018: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

 

At World Conference Center Bonn

Sunday, 29 April 2018: 8.30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Monday, 30 April to Thursday, 10 May: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

(except Sunday, 6 May – conference premises closed all day)

 

Registration contact person for Parties, observer States and observer organizations:

Ms. Eva Kulage

Tel: +49 151 579 069 70

ekulage@unfccc.int

 

Registration contact person for press:

Ms. Carrie Assheuer

Tel: +49 172 179 8836

press@unfccc.int

 

Should you lose or forget your badge please report to the registration counter.

Enjoy using the UNFCCC lanyard. Please keep it for use at your next UNFCCC meeting.

If you would like to update your badge photo, please request it at the registration counter.

Please note that access to the conference area is restricted to registered participants. In order to comply with the security requirements of the secretariat, participants are requested to wear their badges visibly at all times and in all areas. If you lose your badge, please report the loss to the registration counter immediately

 

Disclaimer: The United Nations and the UNFCCC secretariat disclaim all responsibility for medical, accident and travel insurance, for compensation for death or disability, for loss of or damage to personal property and for any other costs or losses that may be incurred during travel time or the period of participation. It is thus strongly recommended that you obtain international medical insurance and other appropriate insurance for the period of travel and participation

You may claim your consignments at the information desk, located on the left-hand side of the ground floor of the main building after passing through the security check. Please present all relevant shipment documents (e.g. air waybill) and information.

 

Opening hours of the information desk for consignments:
 

Sunday, 29 April: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday, 30 April to Thursday, 10 May: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

 

To obtain the appropriate consignment label, please use the following contact points

Side events and exhibits

Mr. James Dayani

see@unfccc.int

 

Parties and delegations

WCCB

sb48@worldccbonn.com

 

please refer directly to the German Foreign Office website at www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Startseite_node.html.

Electronic versions of official and draft documents will be made available on the UNFCCC website https://unfccc.int/documents. Participants are encouraged to rely on the digital versions of documents as much as possible.

A tweet is sent out when a new official document or a relevant new version of a draft text is posted to the website. The Twitter account is called In-session documents; the handle is @UNFCCCDocuments. The Negotiator app https://unfccc.int/news/download-unfccc-negotiator-app links to this Twitter feed and has an official document feed as well.

More information on how to locate documents and other information on the UNFCCC website can be obtained from the documents and website information desk next to the upper conference room in the Altes Abgeordnetenhochhaus building from Tuesday, 24 April, to Friday, 27 April, and on the entrance level of the main World Conference Center Bonn (WCCB) building, next to the information counter, from Sunday, 29 April, to Thursday, 10 May.

A printed copy of an official document can nonetheless be obtained from the documents counter located on the Rhine level of the main WCCB building. ]

Documents counter opening hours:

Monday, 30 April to Thursday, 10 May: 8.30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

(except Sunday, 6 May – conference premises closed all day)

The Daily Programme (official guide to each day's meetings) will be made available on the UNFCCC website

https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/conferences/bonn-climate-change-conference-april-2018/daily-programme-sb-48.

Paper usage and message distribution

In order to reduce paper usage and waste, the secretariat has decided to discontinue the use of pigeonholes at UNFCCC sessions. Messages to Parties and intergovernmental organizations should be conveyed through the information desk.

As part of ongoing efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of UNFCCC conferences, the distribution of flyers for events that are already announced in the Daily Programme or on the UNFCCC official website will not be authorized.

For information on distributing electronic materials at the Climate Change Resources Corner, please refer to http://unfccc.int/meetings/bonn_apr_2018/items/10572.php.

or contact:

Mr. James Dayani

see@unfccc.int

Delegates from Parties eligible for funding are kindly requested to contact the daily subsistence allowance (DSA) office located in the temporary structure in the foyer of the main building of the World Conference Center Bonn as of Monday, 30 April 2018. Delegates attending the pre-sessional meetings of the regional groups are invited to come to the DSA office in room H-030 in the Altes Abgeordnetenhochhaus building on the United Nations Campus from Tuesday, 24 April to Friday, 27 April. Please bring your passport, electronic flight ticket confirmation and boarding pass(es). After receiving clearance from the DSA office, delegates can proceed to the bank to collect their DSA.

DSA office opening hours:

Altes Abgeordnetenhochhaus
Tuesday, 24 April to Friday, 27 April: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

World Conference Center Bonn
Monday, 30 April to Thursday, 10 May: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
(except Saturday, 5 May and Sunday, 6 May – closed all day)

Travel and DSA contact:
Ms. Anja Lorenzini  at Alorenzini@unfccc.int

Ms.Petra Meiranke at Pmeiranke@unfccc.int

For medical emergencies, please contact the German Red Cross, located in the emergency room in the corridor next to the information desk on the ground floor of the main building.

On-site Red Cross:

Tel: +49 (0) 151 20 92 67 95

For other emergencies, please contact United Nations security staff (wearing either a United Nations uniform or an armband), contact the information desk on the ground floor of the main building, or call:

On-site Security Duty Officer:

Tel: +49 (0) 151-72828357

 

Outside the premises of the World Conference Center Bonn, call the following numbers for assistance

Police:
Tel: 110

Fire brigade:
Tel: 112

Emergency doctor / ambulance:
Tel: 112

Telephone information service:
Tel: 11833 (national)
Tel: 11834 (international)

Hospitals in Bonn

St. Marien Hospital
Robert-Koch-Strasse 1
53115 Bonn
Tel.: (+49) 228 / 5050

St. Petrus Hospital
Bonner Talweg 4-6
53113 Bonn
Tel.: +49 (0)228 506 - 0
Fax: +49 (0)228 506 - 2150
E-Mail: info@gk-bonn.de

St. Elisabeth Hospital.
Prinz-Albert-Strasse 40
53113 Bonn
Telefon 0228/5080

St. Johannes Hospital
Koelnstr. 54, Zentrum
53111 Bonn
Telefon: (0228) 701 0
Fax: (0228) 701314
www.johannes-hospital-bonn.de

Please find information on participation and engagement opportunities for observers and other non-Party stakeholders here.

Discover Bonn - by sustainable transport – a city guide developed as part of the German Partnership for Sustainable Mobility.

 

SWB easy.GO app

Information on public transport, schedules, routes and online tickets for trains and buses can be obtained with the easy.GO app which is available for free for Apple, Android or Java-based devices. Download and install the app by following this link:

http://www.swb-busundbahn.de/index.php?id=1721

 

Train services

Bonn main railway station (Bonn Hauptbahnhof)

Tel: +49 180 599 6633

Bad Godesberg railway station (Bonn-Bad Godesberg Bahnhof)

Tel: +49 228 363 248

For further information see www.bahn.com.

 

Bus services

  1. bus line SB60 services the 25-kilometre stretch between Cologne/Bonn Airport and Bonn main railway station. The journey takes about 30 minutes. At the time of writing, a one-way ticket costs EUR 7.70. The bus leaves every 30 minutes on weekdays, and every 30–60 minutes on Saturdays and Sundays. For exact timetables, please see:

http://en.swb-busundbahn.de/service/airport-express-sb60.html

Tel: +49 228 711 4625 (customer service)

 

Hotel bookings made through http://www.bonn-region.de/events/bonn-climate-change-conference-may-2016.html provide free local public transport, including from and to Cologne/Bonn Airport.

 

The information desk located on the ground floor of the main building provides information about the meetings and the venues. In addition, photocopier cards may be purchased here.

Information desk opening hours:

Monday, 30 April to Thursday, 10 May: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

(except Sunday, 6 May – conference premises closed all day)

Please contact the information desk (located near the entrance of the main building) for any items that have been lost. For security reasons, unattended items found anywhere on the conference premises will be moved to the security office.

Contact information for the World Conference Center Bonn:
Platz der Vereinten Nationen 2,

53113 Bonn

+49 (0)228 9267 - 0
info@worldccbonn.com

Further information is available at:

http://www.worldccbonn.com/?L=1

Meeting rooms may be booked, availability permitting, free of charge for a closed meeting, for a maximum duration of 1 hour per Party/organization. Meeting rooms are available every day from 8 a.m., with all such meetings required to finish by 8 p.m.

Meeting room requests may be sent via e-mail to meetingrequest@unfccc.int, as of 9 April 2018.


The MRA team will track your meeting room assignment request, but you will only receive notification/confirmation closer to the session (approximately beginning 18 April 2018). As of Monday, 30 April (official start of the sessions), MRA request forms will no longer be accepted by email. From this time, they can only be handed in at the information/MRA counter in paper form. However, we would recommend that you frequently check your email inbox for potential changes to your confirmed booked meeting sent from the MRA team. Changes may occur owing to the needs and demands of the negotiation process.

Availability and location of your meeting room will be confirmed in the evening of the day before your meeting date. This information can also be obtained from the information/MRA counter, located on the ground floor, after passing security check on the left-hand side of the WCCB venue.

You can download the MRA form by following this link:

http://unfccc.int/files/meetings/bonn_apr_2018/application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document/2018_mra_request_form.docx

 

MRA guidelines

  • Rooms are assigned for a maximum of ONE HOUR ONLY per Party/organization, free of charge;

  • Meeting room reservations are made on a provisional basis and their final confirmation depends on the demands of the negotiating process, which have priority over individual demands;

  • It is advisable to reconfirm your reservation with our staff at the information desk or MRA counter at least two hours before the start of the meeting given the possibility of last-minute changes;

  • If all meeting rooms are in use and your room is needed for a meeting of a Convention or Kyoto Protocol body, the secretariat may request that you vacate the room in which you are holding your meeting;

  • Food and beverages are not permitted inside the meeting rooms.

 

Meeting room assignment team:

Ms. Charlotte Raoult

Ms. Ivett Vigh

Ms. Maxine Henry

meetingrequest@unfccc.int

MRA counter opening hours:

Monday, 30 April to Thursday, 10 May: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

(except Sunday, 6 May – conference premises closed all day)

For office space rental in the conference center please contact:

Ms. Trang DANG

e-mail: t.dang(at)worldccbonn.com
Tel. +49 228 9267 - 1135

Bonn Conference Center Management GmbH
Platz der Vereinten Nationen 2

D-53113 Bonn, Germany

Comprehensive information on sustainability aspects related to SB 48 is available here.

The conference will take place at World Conference Bonn

Venue maps and location of meeting rooms are available at: https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/Venue%20maps%20SB48.pdf

 Should you require an external venue for your delegation's meetings please see venues close to the UNFCCC headquarters

Webcasts

For the duration of the Bonn Climate Change Conference in April–May the webcasts of all official meetings and press conferences will be available live on the UNFCCC website http://unfccc.int with audio streams in the floor language and English. Webcasts will also be available on demand shortly after the close of each meeting.

 

Accessing multimedia content

Multimedia coverage and webcasts will be posted on the official conference website at http://unfccc.int

In addition, the secretariat offers a mobile version of the UNFCCC website, mobile.unfccc.int, and the “Negotiator” app, available for iPhone, iPad and Android devices.

“Negotiator” users can:

  • Get logistical information about the conference (directories, venue maps, etc.);

  • Receive ‘push notifications’ with the latest news;

  • Read the latest documents, agendas, articles and meeting information;

  • View the latest YouTube videos and photos from the conference;

  • Join the conference via the Facebook and Twitter channels.

The “Negotiator” app can be downloaded for free via iTunes at http://unfccc.int/iphoneapp and Google Play play.google.com.

 

Social media

Social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Flickr will allow users to participate in and respond to the conference in Bonn. All links may be found at

http://unfccc.int/meetings/bonn_apr_2018/meeting/10552.php

look for the relevant social media icons at the top and bottom of the page)

The secretariat will be posting regularly on its social media accounts, including:

 

Use of audio and video recording devices by participants

The making of audio and video recordings, including any external transmission, by delegations of Parties or observer organizations during open or closed official meetings and in designated security zones is not permitted. The secretariat provides audio recordings of official meetings, as required by Parties, and webcasts of open plenary meetings are provided.

 

 

Monday, 30 April 2018 at 7 p.m

A reception hosted by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and
Nuclear Safety and the City of Bonn will take place at:

Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland

(Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany)

Museumsmeile Bonn, Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 4, 53113 Bonn

Underground (U-Bahn) station: Heussallee/Museumsmeile

All conference participants are warmly invited

“The United Nations Climate Change Secretariat publishes through its communications channels, at the request of various organizers for promotional purposes and on a courtesy basis, events taking place outside the United Nations premises during the Climate Change conferences. These external premises are subject to national and local jurisdiction and the role of the United Nations Climate Change Secretariat, in the event of an incident, will be limited to facilitate contact with national and local authorities.”