The twelfth meeting of the Statistical Conference of the Americas of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) will be held from 26 to 28 September 2023, at the headquarters of ECLAC in Santiago (Av. Dag Hammarskjöld 3477, Vitacura).

Prior to the twelfth meeting of the Statistical Conference, on 25 September, the twenty-first international meeting of experts on time-use and unpaid work statistics will be held as a side event in the Celso Furtado Conference Room.

The meeting is open to all member States and associate members of ECLAC.

This document is intended to provide delegates with useful information to facilitate their work at the meeting.

Participant registration will be conducted online through the event website: https://cea.cepal.org/12/en. Credentials will be available to collect at the headquarters of ECLAC on 25 September from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on 26 September from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The meeting coordinators will be available to answer any questions concerning logistical or organizational matters before or during the event.

General information on Chile

Geographical location
Chile is located in the extreme south-west of South America. Its capital city is Santiago, and the country has a total population of around 19.5 million. Chile lies between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes mountains, and its long, narrow territory is divided into 16 administrative regions.

The capital
Santiago is the capital city of Chile, and its Metropolitan Region is home to 7 million people. It has a Mediterranean climate and well-defined seasons, with rainy winters, when temperatures fall as low as 0°C (from May to September), and dry summers, when maximum daytime temperatures are around 30°C (from November to March). Relative humidity is low, and evenings are cool.

Although the tap water is safe to drink, it may not agree with those not accustomed to it.

Visitors are therefore advised to drink bottled water. As in all large cities, visitors are advised not to wear valuable jewellery and to remain alert regarding cell phones, wallets or bags, for security reasons.

Useful information

Local currency	The national currency is the Chilean peso ($). The exchange rate is approximately 805 pesos to the dollar (March 2023).
Local time	UTC/GMT -3 hours (on the dates of the meeting).
Electricity	In Chile, the standard voltage is 220 volts. The frequency is 50 Hz. Plugs and sockets are type C or L.
Airport charges	The airport charge is included in the airfare.
Tipping	Tipping is common in Chile, as it is in other parts of the world. In restaurants, it is customary to tip around 10% of the total bill.

 

Meeting venue

The official meetings of the twelfth meeting of the Statistical Conference will be held in the Raúl Prebisch Conference Room on 26 September and in the Celso Furtado Conference Room on 27 and 28 September, at the headquarters of ECLAC, located at Av. Dag Hammarskjöld 3477, Vitacura, Santiago.

ECLAC has a limited number of parking spaces. Only official vehicles of diplomatic missions will be authorized to drop off and pick up their delegations. To do so, please send driver and vehicle details (model and licence plate number) to the following email addresses: carolina.jara@un.org and cencoseg@cepal.org.

Meeting coordination

The meeting is being organized by ECLAC. The contacts are:

• Luis Fidel Yánez (overall coordination)

Secretary of the Commission
Office of the Secretary of the Commission
ECLAC, United Nations
Tel: (+56) 2 2210 2275
Email: luis.yanez@un.org, with a copy to secretariadelacomision@cepal.org

• Xavier Mancero (questions on substantive matters)

Chief of the Social Statistics Unit
Statistics Division
ECLAC, United Nations
Tel: (+56) 2 2210 2442
Email: xavier.mancero@cepal.org and CEA@cepal.org

• Luis Flores (accreditation)

Research Assistant
Office of the Secretary of the Commission
ECLAC, United Nations
Tel: (+56) 2 2210 2084
Email: luis.flores@un.org

• Margarita de Igarzábal (logistics)

Acting Supervisor
Conference Services Unit
ECLAC, United Nations
Tel: (+56) 2 2210 2588
Email: margarita.deigarzabal@un.org

Hotel reservations

The ECLAC Conference Services Unit has reserved a block of rooms at special rates at the following hotels:

• Hotel Pullman Santiago Vitacura (****)

Av. Vitacura 3201
Vitacura
Tel: (+56) 2 2947 3612
Contact: Francisca Cid, Reservations Department
Email: francisca.cid@accor.com and reservas.grupochile@accor.com

Superior single room: US$ 115 + tax (includes buffet breakfast, WiFi and gym)

• Hotel Bidasoa (****)

Av. Vitacura 4873
Vitacura
Tel: (+56) 2 2602 3900
Contact: María Paz Vacarezza, Sales Executive
Email: mvacarezza@hotelbidasoa.cl and reservas@hotelbidasoa.cl

Superior King room: US$ 155 + tax (includes breakfast, Internet and parking)

• Hotel Director Vitacura (****)

Av. Vitacura 3600
Vitacura
Tel: (+56) 2 2389 1956
Contact: María Eliana Puga, Reservations Department
Email: reservas@director.cl

Single room: US$ 100 + tax (includes breakfast and Internet)

• Hotel Noi (*****)

Av. Nueva Costanera 3736
Vitacura
Tel: (+56) 2 2432 6837
Contact: Meena Vaswani, Senior Sales Account Manager
Email: meena.vaswani@noihotels.com

Noi deluxe single room: US$ 139 + tax (includes breakfast, Internet, gym and parking)

• Hotel NH Collection Casacostanera (*****)

Av. Nueva Costanera 3900
Vitacura
Tel: (+56) 2 2496 2014
Contact: Soledad Gazmuri, Sales Account Manager
Email: s-gazmuri@nh-hotels.com and nhcollectioncasacostanera@nh-hotels.com

Basic single room: US$ 125 + tax (includes breakfast, Internet, gym and parking)

Reservations must be made directly with the chosen hotel before the expiry date indicated on the hotel reservation form. After that date, the hotel reserves the right to change the rate and cannot guarantee that rooms will be available.

These rates do not include the value added tax (VAT) of 19%. Visitors paying in dollars or with international credit cards are exempt from VAT. In that case, the hotel will request the slip issued by border control upon entry into Chile.

To maintain the special ECLAC rate, hotel reservations must be requested personally, not through agencies or other means. Delegates are responsible for making 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 information and dates of arrival and departure from Chile, as well as credit card details, in order to secure the reservation. Please send the attached hotel reservation form to the hotel of your choice, with all the required details.

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.

Representatives 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 need a visa, go to the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile (https://www.minrel.gob.cl/embajadas-y-consulados) and click on the country of your nationality.

Transport from the airport to Santiago

For transfers from the airport to the city, there are minibuses run by the companies Transvip and WeTransport, located at the airport, which can take 10–12 passengers and drop passengers off in different neighbourhoods, at an approximate cost of US$ 12 per person.

Travellers who wish to use individual transport should use the official taxi firms (Taxi Turismo Oficial), which are located at the airport; fares to the city vary between US$ 35 and US$ 40, depending on the destination.

Modes of transportation in Santiago include buses, taxis  and six metro lines. Taxi fares are metered and drivers are generally not tipped.

Registration

Online registration system for participants will be available on the meeting website https://cea.cepal.org/12/en from 8 August to 24 September 2023, closing at 6 p.m.

After registration, the system will send 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 requirement to provide official notification of the head of delegation and of all accompanying members.

Officials of United Nations system entities will be able to enter the meeting with their United Nations pass, which must be previously activated, but are still required to register online. To activate a pass, please send copies of both sides to the following email: cencoseg@cepal.org.

Credentials can be collected at the main entrance of ECLAC (Av. Dag Hammarskjöld 3477, Vitacura) on 25 September from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on 26 September from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. To collect their credentials, participants must appear in person and present an identification document. For security reasons, participants will be required to wear their badges in order to attend sessions. Badges must remain visible during the meeting.

Participants are advised to arrive at least 30 minutes before the start of sessions in order to complete the accreditation process and United Nations security protocols.

For further information on registration and accreditation of participants, please contact Luis Flores (luis.flores@un.org) or Carolina Jara (carolina.jara@un.org). 

Opening session

The opening session of the twelfth meeting of the Statistical Conference will take place on Tuesday, 26 September at 10 a.m. in the Raúl Prebisch Conference Room at ECLAC.

Internet

Participants will have access to a wireless Internet connection (Wi-Fi) in the conference room and in open areas. To use the connection, participants are required to register and enter a password.

Languages

The official language of the meeting will be Spanish. Simultaneous interpretation will be provided into English and international sign language.

Facilities and services at ECLAC

Bank	There is a branch of Banco de Chile in the basement of the main ECLAC building. It is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Foreign currency can be exchanged from 10 am to 12:30 pm
Meals	ECLAC has a café and a cafeteria, which are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Participants must pay directly for these services.
Medical services	ECLAC has a café and a cafeteria, which are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Participants must pay directly for these services.