On June 18-22, 2006, the Poverty and Economic Policy (PEP) Research Network will be holding its 5th General Meeting at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC), in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The meeting is being organized by the Angelo King Institute for Economic and Business Studies of De La Salle University (DLSU-Manila) in partnership with the Centre Interuniversitaire sur le Risque, les Politiques Économiques et l'Emploi (CIRPÉE, Université Laval) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa's (UNECA) African Centre for Gender and Development (ACGD). The Economic Commission for Africa through ACGD has been collaborating with PEP since 2004 in developing gender-aware micro-simulation and macro economic models to evaluate impacts of polices on poverty reduction. In the same spirit of collaboration and given the importance and relevance of the meeting to the Commission's work, in 2005 PEP and ACGD agreed to jointly organize an international conference/training workshop on 14-22 June 2006 at the UNCC, Addis Ababa to deliberate on among others recent advances made in poverty reduction in developing countries.
The Addis meeting promises to be very exciting with all three PEP subnetworks gathered together to listen to and discuss a large number of excellent new proposals (only 10% of proposals are selected) and research reports by a dynamic and talented group of developing country researchers, as well as some presentations by invited speakers.
The PEP Network is comprised of three sub-networks: (1) Modeling and Policy Impact Analysis (MPIA), (2) Poverty Monitoring, Measurement and Analysis (PMMA), and (3) Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS). The PEP Network is funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC-Canada).
The MPIA network aims to develop high quality national and comparative research capacity and new concepts and methodologies in the modeling and assessment of the impacts of macroeconomic policies and shocks on poverty and equity at the household and intra-household levels.
The PMMA network seeks to develop high-quality national and comparative research, capacity, and new concepts and methodologies in measuring, monitoring and analyzing poverty.
The CBMS network aims to promote evidence-based policymaking, program implementation and impact-monitoring through the development and institutionalization of a monitoring system that is based and sustained at the village/local level while empowering members of the communities to participate in the development process.
The meeting is organized back-to-back and in close collaboration with the Global Trade Analysis Project's (GTAP, www.gtap.org) ninth annual conference, at which all participating MPIA researchers will be invited to attend in lieu of the traditional MPIA short training course. A separate PMMA short training course will be organized on June 16-17.
General Information
Date:
June 16 - 22, 2006
Location:
United Nations Conference Center, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Organized by:
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)
Angelo King Institute for Economic and Business Studies of De La Salle University (DLSU-Manila)
Centre Interuniversitaire sur le Risque, les Politiques Économiques et l'Emploi (CIRPÉE, Université Laval)
Theme:
Building research capacity for developing countries to reduce poverty through better macroeconomic policies and micro-level interventions
Meeting Goal and Background
The overall objective of the meeting is to allow PEP researchers to present and discuss their research proposals and reports with other PEP researchers, resource persons and steering committee members.
The specific objectives of the meeting are as follows
Presentation and discussion of research proposals submitted to the PEP network.
Presentation and discussion of research reports submitted to PEP network.
Selection of new proposals to be financed by the MPIA-PMMA and the CBMS networks
Meeting of the PEP and sub-network steering committees.
Training workshops of the Modeling and Policy Impact Assessment (MPIA) and Poverty Monitoring and Measurement Analysis (PMMA) sub-networks
This week-long meeting shall convene at least 150 researchers, policy analysts and resource persons from over 40 countries working on poverty measurement and impact analysis. It will also be attended by high-level Ethiopian Government officials, Representatives of Embassies, UN Agencies and the donor community including Bilateral agencies based in Addis Ababa.
Poverty Monitoring, Measurement and Analysis (PMMA) Workshop
On Friday and Saturday, June 16 & 17, 2006, there will be a workshop aimed at giving participants the opportunity to develop high-quality national and comparative research, capacity, and new concepts and methodologies in measuring, monitoring and analyzing poverty. Priority research themes for the PMMA are as follows:
Multidimensional poverty
Public spending and poverty
Poverty dynamics
Other themes: Poverty policy impact analysis, labor markets and poverty, intra-household allocation, and reliability of poverty measures
Conference Format
The conference will have a plenary session; parallel sessions and a training workshop. All presented papers will be available on the PEP website at
www.pep-net.org and on CD-ROM at the end of the meeting.
Expected Results
New proposals selected to be financed by the MPIA network.
Researchers trained on Modeling and Policy Impact Assessments (MPIA) as well as Poverty Monitoring and Measurement Analysis (PMMA) sub networks.
Experience shared on the three sub-networks of PEP among researchers, resource persons and steering committee members.
Area of collaboration between UNECA and PEP defined within the context of poverty reduction activities.
Information to Participants
Lodging
All participants are booked to stay at Addis Ababa Hilton Hotel.
Transportation
Information forthcoming
Visa, Health Requirements and Advisory of Foreign Exchange
On visa arrangements:
A Business Visa is required for all visitors/conference delegates traveling to Ethiopia except for nationals of Djibouti Kenya and Sudan. The Government of Ethiopia requires that vistors/conference delegates from countries with Ethiopian Diplomatic Missions/Consul Offices/Embassy secure their visas from those missions/embassies. These travelers include holders of diplomatic and service/official passports as well as the United Nations Laissez-Passer (LP).
In case you do not have an Ethiopian Diplomatic Mission in your country, our local host, UNECA, will assist in obtaining vour business visa which will be issued to you upon arrival at the airport. If this is your case, kindly fill up the attached form and send it back to mandapa@dls-csb.edu.ph or anne_mandap@yahoo.com. in the soonest date possible. A copy of the visa letter shall be sent to you before your travel to Addis.
An Ethiopian Visa Costs US$ 20 per person and payment must be made in US Dollars at the time of visa issue on arrival at the Airport Immigration Desk. Holders of Diplomatic and Service/Official passports as well as United Nations LPs will receive visas free of charge.
Bank receipts for money changed must be kept securely as they may be requested upon departure.
Health Requirements
Visitors to Ethiopia should be in possession of a valid health certificate for yellow fever. Vaccination against cholera is also required for any person who has visited or transited a cholera-infected area within six days prior to arrival in the country.
Foreign Exchange Regulations (Advisory from HILTON HOTEL)
Further to the National Bank of Ethiopia Foreign Exchange Regulation, all visitors holding non-ethiopian passport are required to adhere to the following:
1. All foreign nationals who want to pay their bill in cash or travelers cheque are required to pay their bill in cash are required to settle their bill in local currency by producing a receipt as evidence of exchange at FOREX bureaus of NIB International Bank and United Bank.
2. It is illegal to exchange foreign currency notes or travelers cheques in Ethiopia other than FOREX bureaus of NIB International Bank, United Bank and other banks.
3. To facilitate exchange services, there are two forex bureaus in the hotel at the lobby level. The working hours of the FOREX bureaus is from 6:00 am-10:30 pm
4. It is recommendable to exchange your foreign currency one day prior to your departure to avoid possible delays due to queues in the FOREX bureaus.
5. All guests are requested to produce copies of the exchange receipts upon check out as it will be used as a back up of their bill for forex audit conducted by the National Bank of Ethiopia.
Contact Information
All correspondence regarding this conference should be addressed to:
A) PEP Network
Ms. Celia M. Reyes, PEP Co-Director and CBMS Network Leader
Angelo King Institute for Economic and Business Studies
Room I-1016 10th Floor
Angelo King International Center
Malate, Manila, Philippines 1004
Email: reyesc@dls-csb.edu.ph>
Anne Bernadette E. Mandap
Research Officer
PEP-CBMS Network
Angelo King Institute for Economic and Business Studies
De La Salle University
Malate, Manila, Philippines 1004
Tel: (632)5262067
Fax:(632)5262067
E-mail: mandapa@dls-csb.edu.ph
B) United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
Alfred Latigo, Senior Economic Affairs Officer
Project Leader, PEP Meeting
ACGD, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
Room 3N12, P.O. Box 3005
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tel: 211-1-5443445
Fax: 211-1-5512785
Email: alatigo@uneca.org
Neijwa Mohammed, Fellow / Economist
Project Coordinator, PEP Meeting
ACGD, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
Room 3N21, P.O. Box 3005
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tel: 211-1-5443140
Fax: 211-1-5512785
Email: nmohammed@uneca.org
