It is a privilege and an honor for Argentina to host the El Calafate Southern Lights Dialogue on Climate Change. I am pleased that you will be able to join me, along with a select group of Ministers from 25 countries, for the fourth climate change dialogue in this series. Your contribution is of fundamental importance to the successful outcome of our gathering. We expect this year’s Dialogue to continue the tradition of an informal exchange of ideas and views. Following the outcome of the Conference of the Parties in Bali, Indonesia last year, Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change face a new challenge – to move forward along the path to a climate safe future. This involves securing effective implementation of our current Convention and its Kyoto Protocol, as well as designing a new complimentary agreement to address the increasing threats inherent in climate change. The Southern Lights Dialogue is a unique opportunity for Ministers to address these issues, including how best to move the formal climate change negotiations forward at COP14 in Poznan, Poland. The town of El Calafate, with its close proximity to the Upsala and Perito Moreno Glaciers, is a location intended to provide inspiration for our discussions. I look forward to welcoming you to Argentina in September. Sincerely,
Romina Picolotti Secretary of State for Environment and Sustainable Development
ABOUT THE DIALOGUE
The El Calafate Southern Lights Dialogue on Climate Change will take place from 15 – 18 September 2008 in the Patagonian town of El Calafate, Argentina near Argentina’s world renowned glaciers. The Dialogue is the fourth in a series of informal discussions initiated in Greenland in 2005, and continued in South Africa and Sweden the years after. In the past, these dialogues have provided an open and enabling environment for Ministers to shape ideas and solutions in addressing the global challenge of climate change. These discussions, and the ideas they have generated, have greatly contributed to advances in the international negotiation fora. It is truly a privilege for Argentina to host this year’s Dialogue. We look forward to having you with us, and being able to share with you, in addition to ideas, our natural heritage, customs and hospitality. We hope the combination of all of these will contribute to a successful outcome and move discussions forward within the United Nations framework. The Republic of Argentina is grateful for the financial support offered from the Governments of Sweden and Denmark. Their generous contributions will secure the participation of developing country invitees and ensure many necessary elements for our gathering.
AGENDA
El Calafate Southern Lights Dialogue will focus on a selection of issues that are of primary importance in advancing the current negotiations, as we approach COP14 in Poznan, Poland this December and then move towards the establishment of a new agreement at COP15 December 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark. We have designed the Dialogue’s agenda to familiarize Ministers with this timeline and its associated work program, in order that we may, cooperatively, advance toward our common goal. You will find the tentative agenda enclosed. A policy document to spur the discussions will be sent out in due time before the meeting. The discussions in El Calafate will be open and informal, respecting the tradition of Chatham House rules, in order to encourage a frank and constructive exchange of opinions. To ensure ample time and space for interaction, each Minister may attend only with one expert or advisor. The meeting will be conducted entirely in English. Should the Minister require translation, we kindly request that the person accompanying them be able to assist in this regard. To separate the work sessions and to allow participants time to enjoy the natural beauty of El Calafate, excursions have been arranged to the Upsala Glacier and to the Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina’s National Glacier Park, where participants will be taken on a guided tour.
ADDITIONAL USEFUL INFORMATION
ACCOMMODATION & MEALS Accommodation in El Calafate has been reserved for all participants at Hotel Posada Los Alamos. Non-sponsored participants may pay for their accommodation at the hotel.
September is early spring in Argentina and the weather can be quite cool and variable. Average temperatures in El Calafate are around 5° - 8°C, but can reach -5°C at night. For outdoor activities please bring warm layers, windproof outerwear, and preferably sturdy shoes or boots. The tour operator will also provide additional clothing during the outings, free of charge.
Hotel Posada Los Alamos Ing. Héctor Mario Gurtti 1135 – El Calafate - Santa Cruz – Argentina Tel. +54 2902 – 491 144 / Fax: +54 2902 - 491 186 info@posadalosalamos.com.ar / Website: www.posadalosalamos.com
The Argentine currency is the Peso. 1 USD is approximately 3,10 pesos. All major credit cards are accepted at hotels, shops and restaurants throughout Argentina.
Sponsored participants will be asked to present a credit card to cover any personal phone or incidental charges.
Internet & Business Center All meals are included during the Dialogue. If you have special dietary restrictions, please indicate them on your registration form or communicate them to Ms. Alex Viets, aviets@ambiente.gov.ar. The hotel and restaurants are able to accommodate any requirements you may have.
Participants will have access to a special business office during the Dialogue with computers, printers, and other work-related tools. Wireless internet access will be available for the duration of the meeting.
The hotel staff can assist in practical matters relating to participants’ stay, including incoming faxes [Fax. +54 2902 - 491 186] and other personal requirements.
For all other inquiries, please contact Ms. Alex Viets at the Secretariat of Environment and Sustainable Development, Argentina: aviets@ambiente.gov.ar or +54 11 4348 8308.
TRAVEL International Flights
National Flight from Buenos Aires to El Calafate
Travel and accommodation costs for developing country participants will be covered in full, with the generous support from the Government of Denmark. To make arrangements for the international flight to Buenos Aires, developing country participants should indicate their preferred dates of travel and airport of departure on the registration form. This form has been sent via fax and can also be accessed on the Ministerial Participants portion of the website.
Due to the limited number of flights to El Calafate, all participants have been pre-booked on round trip flights between Buenos Aires and El Calafate. The flight departs from Buenos Aires on Monday, 15 September and returns to Buenos Aires on Thursday, 18 September .
Participants from developed countries are kindly asked to inform us of their travel arrangements at their earliest convenience. We are happy to help with recommendations of routing or hotel accommodation reservations upon your arrival or prior to departure. Please let us know of any information you require by contacting Ms. Alex Viets, aviets@ambiente.gov.ar. Visa Information Citizens of Bangladesh, China, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Algeria, Kenya, Mauritius, and Ghana require visas for entry into Argentina. Visas are issued by the Argentine Embassy or Consulate in your country of residence.
To arrange for payment of the domestic flight, non-sponsored participants are kindly asked to contact Mr. Alejandro Guzman at Turicentro (aguzman@turicentro.com.ar). Hotel transfers, internal transportation, and excursions during the Dialogue are fully covered for all participants. Any participant arriving in Buenos Aires earlier than 15 September can arrange hotel reservations and transportation between the airport and the hotel by contacting Ms. Alex Viets at aviets@ambiente.gov.ar.
INFORMATION ON EL CALAFATE El Calafate is a little village in Patagonia, the southern part of Argentina – 3 hours flight from Buenos Aires. It is situated at the southern border of Lake Argentino. El Calafate got its name from the small calafate bush, indigenous to Patagonia. Its fruit is a delicious berry; according to tradition, those who taste the calafate fruit will always return for more. El Calafate is the main entrance to the spectacular Parque National Los Glaciares (National Glacier Park) which covers a surface of some 600,000 hectares with 47 glaciers, including the breath-taking “Glaciar Perito Moreno,” one of the world’s most dynamic and accessible ice fields. With its magnificent natural beauty, the glacier park constitutes a wonder of the world, and was declared “World Heritage” by UNESCO in 1981. Climate change affects all parts of the world and is also a reality in Argentina. Patagonia has experienced a steep increase in average temperature during the second half of the 20th century. The southern-most part of Patagonia has experienced an even greater rise in temperature, exceeding a 1º C increase. In most recent years, this tendency seems to have partially reverted and in some places even slowed to a halt. However, the retreat of the glaciers has not stopped. On the Southern Continental ice shelf, shared with Chile, of fifty glaciers, only one is growing (Spegazzini Glacier), another one is in balance, and forty-eight glaciers are receding. The recent collapse of a portion of the Perito Moreno Glacier (July 2008) is considered to be yet another result of global warming in Argentina.
WEBSITE A special website is available to provide information on the Dialogue for general global reference. Dialogue participants have select access to the Ministerial section of the website, which provides updated information on substance and logistics. In order to access this portion, please note the following details: Site: www.calafatedialogue.com Username: dialogue Password: ARG We will be regularly posting new information and announcements on the site.
Turicentro travel agency is available for assistance with any other questions about travel and sightseeing in Argentina. Please contact Alejandro Guzman (aguzman@turicentro.com.ar), www.turicentro.com.ar/eng/.