26th Conference of the Regional Commission for Africa (RC26)

The meeting will take place at the Conference Centre of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), between Menelik II Avenue and Guinea Conakry Street in Kazanchis. The meeting will be held in English and French, with simultaneous interpretation provided

The AMR Workshop will take place at Radisson Blu, Addis Ababa on Monday of 3 February 2025.

The AMR Workshop for the Regional Commission for Africa, held alongside the Regional Commission Conference, aims to sensitise delegates on WOAH’s key priorities for combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR). It will update participants on progress related to ANIMUSE and addressing falsified and substandard veterinary medicines while engaging member countries in discussions on implementing the UNGA AMR political declaration and identifying potential challenges to fulfilling their commitments.

WOAH will not pay the hotel accommodation for the Regional Commission meeting.

• WOAH will make a reservation and cover 2 nights of accommodation at Radisson Blue for Delegates who confirmed their attendance to the AMR Workshop. They will be required to pay for additional nights of their stay during the Conference upon arrival to the hotel. If you wish to stay at another hotel and manage your own accommodation, or would like to cancel your reservation made at the Radisson Blue, please kindly contact Ms Ann Loko ([email protected]).
• Self-funded participants or participants, sponsored by other organisations, are welcome to make their own arrangements and reservations (see list below). WOAH has negotiated a special rate at the Radisson Blu hotel in Kazanchis, within walking distance of UNECA. To benefit from this rate, please book through this link: Radisson Blu : WOAH Conference of the Regional Commission for Africa
• We highly recommend participants to include a shuttle transfer from airport to the hotel when making their reservations. If the hotel does not provide the shuttle service, please inform Ms Ann Loko ([email protected]).

Hotel options below:

Currency rates: $ (less than USD 50) $$ (USD 50-80) $$$ (USD 81-120) $$$$ (121 – 150) $$$$$ (151 – 200) 

The hotel will organise transfer from / to Bole International Airport and the Hotel for funded participants.  After exiting the customs at the arrival hall, outside, please look for the steward(esse)s holding the placard “WOAH”. 

Self-funded participants are kindly invited to contact WOAH Sub Regional Representation for Eastern Africa for additional information on how to reach the meeting venue. All major hotels offer shuttle services to and from the airport. Some are present in the arrival hall, others in the parking lot reserved for hotel shuttles.  

The national currency, The Ethiopian Birr (ETB) is used for all transactions in Ethiopia.  In December 2024, EUR 1.0 was traded for ETB 130 and USD 1.0 was traded for ETB 124. Electronic payment systems are widely available in retail and hospitality businesses, and so are banks and ATMs. Do carry some cash as both card swipe machines and ATMs tend to sometimes reject foreign credit cards without reason. 

New restrictions on foreign currency exchange stipulate that foreign arrivals to Ethiopia transfer all their foreign currency into Ethiopian currency through approved exchange offices, and oblige them to disclose to the Ethiopian port authorities upon arrival their foreign currency if it exceeds USD 4,000 entering the country. As for those leaving Ethiopia, they are prohibited from carrying more than 3,000 Ethiopian Birr. 

Ethiopia’s internet provision is notoriously poor and unreliable, except in African Union and United Nations’ facilities such as the venue, the UNECA. Sim cards (for visitors) can be bought before exiting the airport building at the following outlets :  

• SAFARICOM 

• ETHIOTELECOM 

SIM card and airtime (unlimited data) will cost approximately USD 3 for three days. Registration (passport) is required but takes little time. Note that activating SIM cards in the early hours of the night is usually not possible.  

All participants are responsible to enquire on the visas and/or transit visas required and make the necessary arrangements to obtain them for the full round trip.  

Participants are requested to contact the relevant Consulate, High Commission or Embassy in their countries to make all necessary arrangements. Note that most nationalities, inside and outside Africa, can apply for an Ethiopian eVisa (online) :  

https://www.evisa.gov.et/ 

Please do not apply for a workshop visa or a conference visa (CV) as this will require an invitation letter from the hosting organisation based in Ethiopia, which WOAH cannot provide.  

Only two (2) countries in Africa do not need an entry visa to enter Ethiopia (Djibouti and Kenya), whilst 40 other countries can apply for an eVisa (category: tourist) and pay online or pay on arrival. 

https://www.evisa.gov.et/information/touristOnArrivalVisa 

Visa-on-arrival is possible for nationals of all of the African Union Member States, excluding nationals of Egypt, Eritrea, Libya, Nigeria and Sudan, but including countries such as some of the below countries who can’t apply for an electronic visa (e.g. Burundi, CAR, Chad).  

All e-visa applications attract a fee of USD 62 for a 30-day validity. The visa will be reimbursed by WOAH upon presentation of the original visa or the receipt. Beware of fraudulent websites, offering (e)visa services at much higher prices (and usually not delivering, or not in time). 

Please carefully read and comply with the important notices and guidelines stated in each step of the application form. The validity of Ethiopian e-Visa starts from the date you intend to enter Ethiopia, not from date of issue. Please note that your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date you intend to enter Ethiopia. 

e-Visa application fees paid through the portal are not refundable by the Ethiopian immigration. 

A passport size photo and scanned copy of passport is required and should be uploaded. 

Please note that Ethiopia does not accept credit card payment transactions of applicants originating from the below countries effective 18 November 2020: Cuba, Iraq, Sudan, Yemen, Somalia, North Korea, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Crimea region and Syria. Nationals of African States who cannot make an e-Visa payment online can apply online and make the payment on arrival at Bole International Airport in cash (USD). The visa-paid-on-arrival will be reimbursed by WOAH upon presentation of the original visa or the receipt. 

Eleven (11) countries cannot apply for a visa online and have to apply through an Ethiopian Embassy or apply for a visa-on-arrival:  

1. Burundi (visa-on-arrival) 
2. Central African Republic              (visa-on-arrival) 
3. Chad (visa-on-arrival) 
4. Congo (Democratic Republic) (visa-on-arrival) 
5. Congo (Republic)                (visa-on-arrival) 
6. Eritrea 
7. Libya 
8. Mali (visa-on-arrival) 
9. Somalia (visa-on-arrival) 
10. South Sudan (visa-on-arrival) 
11. Sudan 

Some of these countries (for which visa-on-arrival is not possible) do not host Ethiopian diplomatic missions (Libya) and applicants will therefore have to apply in a neighbouring country (Egypt). 

1. Algiers, Algeria  
2. Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire  
3. Djibouti, Djibouti  
4. Cairo, Egypt  
5. Asmara, Eritrea  
6. Accra, Ghana  
7. Nairobi, Kenya  
8. Rabat, Morocco  
9. Abuja, Nigeria  
10. Kigali, Rwanda
11. Mogadishu, Garowe, Hargeisa, Somalia
12. Pretoria, South Africa
13. Juba, South Sudan  
14. Khartoum, Sudan
15. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
16. Kampala, Uganda  
17. Harare, Zimbabwe 
18. Dakar, Senegal

In February, in Addis Ababa, the weather is quite dry (3 days of rainfall, with no more than 50 mm) and pleasant. Temperatures are up to 24°C at noon. At night the minimum is 11°C. Hence, dress warm in the mornings and in the evenings. 

As per December 2024, screening for M-pox is in place. Visitors from affected countries are required to fill out a Traveler’s Health Screening Form and generate a QR code that allows them into the country (just before joining the queue for the passport control). The form should ideally be completed before boarding the flight, as filling it out upon arrival, using the airport wifi, on your smartphone, may be slow and lead to delays for the other guests who are being transferred with you.  

Please use the link https://e-thtp.ephi.gov.et/  

Affected countries (i.e. in respect of your country of departure) are updated on this Ethiopian Airlines information page : Monkey Pox Regulation Updates 

In addition, a yellow-fever international certificate of vaccination is required to enter Ethiopia, arriving from countries with risk for yellow-fever virus transmission; this includes >12-hour airport transits or layovers in countries with risk for yellow-fever virus transmission, and it is routinely checked upon arrival. Consult the list provided by the US-CDC : https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2024/infections-diseases/yellow-fever  Yellow fever is a risk in certain parts of Ethiopia, but not in Addis Ababa.  

Considering the altitude of Addis Ababa (2,300 m), the risk of malaria is minimal. 

Insurance terms, when relevant, are specified in the respective invitation letter. Please note that, WOAH is not responsible for participants’ life/medical/travel insurance or costs resulting from any illness, accident or loss that may occur during travel and/or participation in the meeting. Participants are encouraged to make their own travel insurance arrangements.