The first meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Escazú Agreement will take place on 20 to 22 April 2022 at ECLAC headquarters in Santiago in a hybrid format.

Given the health restrictions in Chile and the maximum room capacity due to COVID-19, a limited number of participants will be able to participate in person. Remote participation channels and live transmission will be provided through http://live.cepal.org/escazu.

• BRIEFING NOTE FOR PARTICIPANTS ATTENDING IN-PERSON
• Hotel reservation form (.doc)

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF COVID-19

The practical arrangements for the meeting of the Conference of the Parties will be affected by the coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19), which will condition whether or not certain events take place, how they are held, and the number of attendees permitted. Any changes made will be in response to the risk assessments and advice provided by the Occupational Safety and Health Committee at ECLAC headquarters. These assessments are based, in turn, on host city and host country guidance, the stage of the plan for the return to on-site work in the ECLAC headquarters complex, the risks posed by the pandemic to delegates and United Nations staff at any given time.

*** Entry requirements for Chile as of 12 April 2022 *** (please review updated information before travelling on https://www.minsal.cl/plan-fronteras-protegidas/)

• For Alert Level 1, all travellers must complete electronically the form "Travellers Affidavit" up to 48 hours before boarding, in which they will provide contact information, health history and information on the trip. This form will give a QR code as a means of verification. It can be obtained at www.c19.cl. In addition, they must have medical insurance with a minimum coverage of USD$30,000 that includes any expense related with Covid-19.
• Non-resident foreigners: Vaccination homologation is voluntary for entry, but a complete vaccination schedule is required to access the mobility pass, which can be homologated prior to entry into Chile at: https://mevacuno.gob.cl/ 
• PCR test before entry:  Recommended. Please, check with your airline if a negative PCR test is required before boarding.
• PCR test upon entry: may be taken randomly at the airport.
• Please read the Protected Borders Plan before your trip, as it may suffer changes.

Access to and movement within ECLAC headquarters

For admittance to ECLAC headquarters, all persons must confirm that they have not had symptoms of or been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the previous 14 days or have been in close contact with someone who has had symptoms of COVID-19 or has been diagnosed with COVID-19. Attendees who have travelled from other countries must comply with the local requirements for incoming travellers regarding COVID-19.

Personal protective equipment

All attendees are expected to wear a medical mask (surgical, FFP2, KN95 or equivalent) that fully covers the nose and mouth at all times while indoors, except when speaking directly at a meeting. Physical contact should be avoided in greetings and interactions and individuals should keep a distance of at least 1 metre from others. All attendees will be required to uncover their faces upon entry to ECLAC premises or when passing through other security checkpoints, if requested to do so by United Nations security officers, in order to confirm identity with the photograph on their credential.

In order to reduce the risk of infection, hand-sanitizing stations will be provided, and intensified cleaning will be performed between meetings and on high-touch surfaces. Everyone is encouraged to wash their hands frequently with soap and water.

Attendees are asked to kindly respect the meeting room capacity at all times, as well as the distribution and assignment of seats, which have been established to ensure the safety of all.

Reporting in case of illness

Attendees are strongly advised not to enter ECLAC premises if, at any time before or during the meeting, they present symptoms associated with COVID-19, including fever or body temperature above 37.5°C, or if they have been in contact with another person presenting such symptoms or in preventive isolation for such symptoms in the 14 days prior to the meeting. If an attendee develops symptoms while at ECLAC, he/she should immediately leave the premises, isolate and seek medical care, and report the situation to the ECLAC medical service as outlined in the paragraph below. Attendees who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or who develop symptoms of COVID-19 after attending an event at the ECLAC complex are urged to notify the medical service by telephone (+56 2 2210 2333) or by email (servicio.medico@cepal.org) to facilitate contact tracing.

MEETING VENUE

The first meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean will take place, in hybrid format, in the Raúl Prebisch conference room at the headquarters of ECLAC, located at Av. Dag Hammarskjöld 3477, Vitacura, Santiago. All side events will be held in virtual format.

MEETING COORDINATION

The meetings will be organized by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). Questions on substantive matters relating to the meeting may be addressed to Carlos de Miguel, David Barrio and Gabriela Burdiles of the secretariat of the Escazú Agreement (secretaria.escazu@cepal.org).

Enquiries concerning operational aspects of the meeting should be addressed to María Paz Rivera (mariapaz.rivera@un.org, (+56) 2 2210 2618).

HOTEL RESERVATIONS

The ECLAC Conference Services Unit has reserved a limited number of rooms with special rates for ECLAC at the following hotels located close to the headquarters:

• Hotel Pullman Santiago Vitacura (****), Av. Vitacura 3201, Vitacura (+56) 2 2944 7800 Superior single room: US$ 112 (includes breakfast and Internet) Superior double room: US$ 122 (includes breakfast and Internet) Attn: Francisco Pereira, Reservations Department Email: Francisco.PEREIRAVASQUEZ@accor.com
• Hotel NH Collection Casacostanera (****), Av. Nueva Costanera 3900, Vitacura (+56) 2 2433 9000 Single room: US$ 115 (includes breakfast and Internet) Attn: Fabiola Rivera Lagos, Reservations Department Email: fa.rivera@nh-hotels.com and nhcollectioncasacostanera@nh-hotels.com

These rates do not include value added tax (VAT) of 19%. Visitors paying in dollars or with international credit cards are exempt from VAT.

To maintain the special ECLAC rate, hotel reservations must be requested personally, not through agencies or other means. Delegates are responsible for their own reservations. You are advised to check that the hotel has processed your reservation and to request a reservation number or confirmation code. The hotel requires your flight number and date of arrival in and departure from Chile, as well as credit card details, in order to secure the reservation.

Please complete the hotel reservation form, with all the required details, in full.

VISA AND ENTRY REQUIREMENTS FOR CHILE

Participants must be in possession of a passport valid for at least six months beyond the date of entry into Chile. Delegates from countries whose citizens require a visa to enter Chile should apply for one in advance at their nearest Chilean embassy or consulate. To find out whether you require a visa, go to the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile (https://chileabroad.gov.cl/consulados) and click on the country of your nationality.

REGISTRATION

An online registration system will be available on the ECLAC website as from 23 March. Online registration does not exempt delegations from the requirement to provide official notification of the name of the head of delegation and all accompanying members.

Representatives of States Parties must have letters of credentials in order to participate in decision-making (see item 8 of this briefing note). For any further information on participant accreditation, please contact María Eugenia Barozzi (mariaeugenia.barozzi@un.org, (+56) 2 2210 2520) or María Paz Rivera (mariapaz.rivera@un.org, tel. (+56) 2 2210 2618).

CREDENTIALS OF PARTIES

In order to take part in decision-making at the meeting, parties must be accredited. Credentials for the head of delegation, alternate representatives and advisers are issued either by the Head of State or Government or by the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Information regarding any change in the composition of the delegation should be submitted using the same procedure.

Parties are invited to submit electronic versions of credentials by Wednesday, 6 April 2022 to facilitate the clearance process. Electronic copies of credentials can be sent to secretaria.escazu@cepal.org.

Samples of credentials are available in Spanish (.doc) and English (.doc).

BADGE COLLECTION FOR REGISTERED PARTICIPANTS

The collection of badges for registered and confirmed participants will take place at ECLAC headquarters on Tuesday, April 19th between 10 am-5:30 pm, Wednesday April 20th between 7:30-5:00, Thursday April 21st and Friday April 22nd during the Conference hours.

For the collection of badges, the following will be required:

a. identification document

b. mobility pass (pase de movilidad), or a certificate of vaccination in the case of non-residents in Chile. The mobility pass is available 24 hours a day through the website https://saludresponde.minsal.cl/mevacuno/

c. a copy of the ECLAC e-mail approving your registration (on paper or on your cell phone), with the registration number.

OPENING SESSION

The opening session of the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean will start at 9 a.m. (Chilean time, UTC -4) on Wednesday, 20 April 2022.

LANGUAGES

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

DOCUMENTS

This will be a paper-smart meeting. All official documents and statements will be made available to read or download at the website http://acuerdodeescazu.cepal.org/cop1/en. Participants are advised to bring their laptop computer, tablet or other mobile device to the meeting, since only a limited number of printed documents will be available.