1. General

The 34th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) will be held in Banjul, The Gambia, from 7th to 21st October 2003. The venue of the Session is CORINTHIA ATLANTIC HOTEL, Banjul, Tel (220) 228601; Fax (220) 227861; Email: atlantic@corinthia.com
Website: http://www.corinthia.com. The opening session is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. on 7th October 2003.

Credentials

Delegates and other participants are kindly requested to bring their official credentials duly signed by the appropriate authorities of their Governments or their respective organisations and hand them to the ACHPR Secretariat prior to registration.

3. Registration and identification badges

Participants are required to register and obtain identification badges prior to the opening of the Session. There will be a registration counter for this purpose in the main lobby area outside the Conference Hall. For those participants arriving late, registration can be done upon arrival.
For identification and security reasons, all participants are requested to wear their badges at all times during the Session and at social functions.

4. Immigration requirements

All travellers arriving in Banjul, The Gambia should have a valid passport. Entry visas are required for all nationals who are not citizens of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and can be obtained at the Gambia Diplomatic and Consular Representations abroad. Each participant is therefore advised to check the existence and the location of these Representations with the Ministry of Foreign/External Affairs of his/her country so as to obtain a visa before arriving in Banjul. Holders of AU and UN Laissez-Passers and diplomatic passports are issued free of charge with an entry visa upon arrival at the airport in Banjul. There is no Airport tax in the Gambia.

Participants should send flight information to the ACHPR Secretariat Tel: (220) 392962 / 372070; Fax: (220) 390764; email: achpr@achpr.org

5. Health requirements

Visitors require yellow fever inoculations. Participants are requested to take the necessary vaccination and travel with their vaccination cards.

6. Weather

During the month of October, The Gambia may experience a few rains, however, this period could also be very hot and humid. The temperature varies between 30°C and 35°C. It is thus advisable to carry some light clothes, preferably cotton.

Foreign exchange and banks

All major convertible currencies and travellers cheques can be exchanged in The Gambia. The local currency is the Dalasi. The current exchange rate is around D32 for US$1.

Exchange operations can be done at the airport, the banks and hotels. Banks are open to the public from Mondays to Thursdays from 8:00am to 1.30pm in the afternoon and on Fridays from 8.00am to 11.00am (GMT). It should be noted that some banks like the Standard Chartered Bank opens to the public on Saturday mornings. The following are the principal operational banks:

 Standard Chartered Bank, tel: (220) 228681 / 228683; fax: (220) 227714; Email: enquiry@scrgamb.mhs.compuserv.com
 Trust Bank Ltd; tel: (220) 225771 / 225778; Fax: (220) 225781; Email: trust@gamtel.gm
 Continent Bank; tel: (220) 222000 / 229962; fax: (220) 229711; Email: continentbank@gamtel.com
 First international Bank Ltd; tel: (220) 202004 / 202005 / 202001; Email: FIB@GAMTEL.GM
 Arab Gambian Islamic Bank Ltd; tel: (220) 222222 / 223771; Fax: (220) 228688
 Guarantee Trust Gambia Ltd.; tel: (220) / 376388; 376389

Airline reservations

A number of international airlines operate regularly to and from Banjul. Working hours of the main travel agencies are from 8.00am to 5.00pm. The following are the main travel agents and airlines operating in The Gambia:

 SN Brussels Airlines; tel: (220) 494687 / 496309 / 496300 / 496301 / 496302 / 496303; fax: (220) 496299
 Air Senegal International; tel: (220) 202117 / 202118
 Banjul Travel Agency; tel: (220) 228813 / 228473 / 228471; Fax: (220) 225583
 Continental Travels; tel: (220) 224058 / 224059; Fax: (220) 224118 / 223871
 Gambia International Airlines ; tel : (220) 472757 / 223703 / 374100 / 223700 ; Fax : (220) 472750 ; Email : gia-gambia@gamtel.gm
 Globe Travel Agency ; tel : (220) 224490 / 224970
 The Atlantic Airlines (G) LTD ; tel : (220) 372995 / 372951 / 370518 ; fax : (220) 390062 / 396620 ; Email : atlantic@qanet.gm
 Ghana Airways; tel: (220) 226913 / 228245 / 229372; fax: (220) 225884; Email: ghanaairways@gamtel.com
 Air Guinea Company; tel: (220) 223296; mobile: (220) 994357
 Belleview Airlines; tel: (220) 370594; fax: (220) 373606

Electricity

The voltage in The Gambia is 220V AC accessible with 3 pins normal chairman plug.