Over 12,000 foreign visitors are expected to flock to the Peruvian capital Lima during the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference, slated to be held on December 1-12, 2014, the country Environment Minister, Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, has reported.
The announcement was made at a conference aimed a showcasing the achievements made by the Ollanta Humala administration and the next steps being taken in the organization of the 20th Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP20).
The event, which is framed within the COP20 MOVES FORWARD strategy, was attended by above-mentioned high-level Peruvian government official along with the country’s Prime Minister, Ana Jara, and Foreign Minister, Gonzalo Gutiérrez,
The strategy establishes concrete progress made and clear targets for Peru’s participation in the most important climate change event in the world.
Mr. Pulgar-Vidal informed the official venue of COP20 is set to take place within the Peruvian Army’s General Headquarters, and spread over a 90,000 square meter area. The venue will have 30 meeting rooms, 2 plenary session rooms, 2 press conference rooms, 11 rooms for side events, 4,000 square meters for office spaces, a press area and an International Recording Center for 100 TV and radio stations, among others.
Voices for the Climate will be a participation space located at the Peruvian Jockey Club (Jockey Club del Perú). It will be an area devoted to civil society participation and to generating more awareness among citizens. Achievements and the work conducted globally on five prioritized issues will be presented as well: forests, oceans, sustainable cities, energy, and mountains and water.
As for accommodation for the 12,000 expected visitors, 900 establishments were visited in Lima and 325 hotels from 1 to 5 stars in good or excellent condition were identified. This means that 15,000 rooms and 18,000 beds are available and reserved for those days.
Furthermore, a process of awareness is taking place in hotels, so that these take into account the needs of participants. A communication system has been established to respond to participant questions and queries.
As for transportation, 5 routes have been defined for the transportation of participants from already identified hubs to the venue and vice versa. A system of shuttles has also been planned from the airport and “green waves” have already been established with the national police for rush hours to prevent traffic congestion.
Security has also been coordinated between the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Army’s General Command (CGE). They have set security rings for the main venue, hotels, and airport and have designed security protocols for authorities.
Finally, a protocol has been prepared to facilitate the entry of negotiation teams to Peru, creating an online visa system and generating agreements to exempt diplomatic, service and official passports from visas with 71 countries.
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Published: 9/3/2014