THE HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT

The most famous and controversial monument in Bucharest, it was built between 1984 and 1989, with the help of 400 architects and 20,000 workers who toiled day and night in shifts. Initially called “The House of the People”, it was supposed to bring all government authorities together under one roof, around the dictator whose residence it was meant to be.
The building is now called the House of Parliament and houses the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.
The House of the People or House of Parliament in figures:
Nothing is of reasonable size in this structure of gigantic proportions. Standing 84 metres high, the building is 270 meters long and 240 meters wide. It has 1,100 rooms spread over 12 floors, with four additional underground levels currently accessible and utilized (another four floors being only partially complete). The halls have ceilings that are over 20 meters high and the largest hall is the size of a football field. The magnificent chandeliers are made of Médias crystal. The heaviest one weighs 4 tons!!
It is believed that the House of Parliament is the second largest building in the world, second only to the Pentagon (Washington DC).

PRE-CONGRESS TOURS / ACTIVITIES FOR ACCOMPANYING PERSONS

DESTINATION PLUS offers two pre-Congress tours that will take you to the must see monuments of Romania:
-PRE-CONGRESS TOUR N°1: “On Romania’s Treasure Trail: The Monasteries of Bucovina”
4 days/3 nights – Sunday, October 26 to Wednesday, October 29, 2008 (very early return to Bucharest)

-PRE-CONGRESS TOUR N°2: “From the Carpathian Mountains to South Transylvania: Discovery of the Region, Romanian Culture & Traditions”
3 days/2 nights – Sunday, October 26 to Tuesday, October 28, 2008 (return in the evening)

You will also have the opportunity to visit Bucharest and its surroundings during the Congress.
Details of pre-Congress tours and activities for accompanying persons are on pages 48 to 58 of the programme. To make a reservation, use the DESTINATION PLUS reservation form attached hereto.

In case enough people have not registered by September 8, 2008, the pre-Congress tours and activities for accompanying persons may be cancelled or postponed to a date on which there are more participants.

DESTINATION PLUS
58, rue Saint Lambert - 75015 Paris, France
Tel.: +33 1 56 08 37 37
Fax: +33 1 56 08 37 38
Email: congres-uia@destinationplus.fr
Website: www.destinationplus-uia.com

ACCREDITATION / CLE CREDIT

UIA has obtained official accreditation from the Conseil National des Barreaux (CNB France), as well as from the Belgian bars, within the legal continuing education framework. In this context, 21 hours of training have been approved for Congress participants.
UIA has obtained official accreditation from the Romanian National Bar Association (UNBR).
UIA is pursuing the same approach with organisations in other countries. Please contact it for more detailed information.

INTERPRETATION

The table above summarises the meetings for which simultaneous interpretation has been arranged, to date. On your arrival at the Congress, kindly consult the final programme in order to check whether simultaneous interpretation has been arranged for any other meetings.
The UIA would like to thank the Majed M. GAROUB Law firm for sponsoring the simultaneous translation costs in Arabic.

VENUE

House of Parliament (Palatul Parlamentului)
International Conference Centre of Bucharest (CIC)
Str. Izvor, nr. 2-4 - Bucharest
Tel.: + 40 21 312 17 80 - Fax: + 40 21 312 09 02
Email: cic@cdep.ro  - Website: www.cdep.ro/cic/

SHUTTLES, ACCESS

A shuttle service will be set up for transfers between the JWMarriott (the Congress hotel) and the House of Parliament. Due to the very difficult traffic conditions prevailing in Bucharest and in order to reduce carbon emission, the organisers are planning to provide just one transfer in the mornings and one in the evenings between the other Congress hotels and the House of Parliament.
For all evening programmes, to and fro transfers from your hotel will be provided.
The shuttle timings will be given to you upon your arrival and posted up in the Congress hotels.

ORGANISERS’ ADDRESS

To register for the Congress and for any information on the UIA and/or the Congress, please contact:
UNION INTERNATIONALE DES AVOCATS
25, rue du Jour - 75001 Paris - France
Tel.: +33 1 44 88 55 66 – Fax: +33 1 44 88 55 77
Email: uiacentre@uianet.org  - Website: www.uianet.org

To reserve your hotel, register for optional social activities, excursions for
accompanying persons and round-trip excursions, please contact:
DESTINATION PLUS
58, rue Saint Lambert - 75015 Paris - France
Tel.: +33 1 56 08 37 37 - Fax: +33 1 56 08 37 38
Email: congres-uia@destinationplus.fr - Website: www.destinationplus-uia.com

ASSISTANCE DURING THE CONGRESS

For any further information, representatives of the UIA and DESTINATION PLUS will be at your disposal at the Congress registration desk at the House of Parliament to answer all your questions. A welcome desk will be at your disposal in the Congress hotels.

ACCOMPANYING PERSONS

No members of the legal profession can be registered as accompanying persons for the Congress. Accompanying persons are not authorised to attend the technical sessions.
To be able to participate in the social activities, accompanying persons must be registered and pay the corresponding registration fees. They will be given a special badge.

BADGE

The badge (for Congress participants and/or accompanying persons) can be used as a pass. Please keep it with you at all times.

FIRST-TIME PARTICIPANTS AT A UIA CONGRESS

In order to enable regular attendees of UIA’s annual Congresses, as well as the Association’s officers to offer an especially warm welcome to those (UIA members or non-members) attending a UIA Congress for the first time, their badge will indicate that they are first-time participants.

LUNCHES

Lunches have been organised to give you ample time to meet friends and colleagues.
They will be served on the spot at the House of Parliament, upon presentation of your voucher.

EXHIBITION

An exhibition will be held for the entire duration of the Congress.

LIST OF CONGRESS PARTICIPANTS

You can consult the list of participants on the UIA website’s Bucharest Congress section, under “My UIA Congress”, at any time. You need to have registered for the Congress first.
In the confirmation of registration you will find your login and password. You can identify in “My UIA Congress” section and have access to the participants list, reports and your own registration.

CONGRESS REPORTS

All Congress participants who have paid their registration fees will receive a copy of the CD-ROM containing the reports received in electronic format by the UIA at the latest by July 31, 2008. Reports received after this date but before the Congress will be available on the UIA website, www.uianet.org , in the section “My UIA Congress”, for all registered participants who have paid their registration fees. You will be able to find your login and password in your registration confirmation. During the closing ceremony, the Monique-Raynaud Contamine Prize will be awarded to the best reports.

CHANGES AND ADDITIONS

Some names and certain activities have not been given in this programme, as we did not receive confirmation in time. We invite you to visit the UIA website www.uianet.org  regularly, especially the “Bucharest Congress” link, as this will enable you to learn about the changes and additions made in the Congress programme. The final programme will be handed over to participants at the Congress venue, including all updates and logistical information.
To directly access the Bucharest Congress website, please log on to the home page of UIA’s website www.uianet.org  and click on the “Bucharest Congress” icon located at the bottom left.

MONIQUE-RAYNAUD CONTAMINE PRIZE

In 1999, the UIA or International Association of Lawyers established the Monique Raynaud-Contamine Prize in tribute to Mme Monique Raynaud-Contamine, a former UIA Director of Legal Projects – Publications, and former President of the Banking Law Commission. Monique Raynaud-Contamine was a vitally important UIA member for several years.
The Monique Raynaud-Contamine Prize was established in honour of her work and her personality and is given to the author of the two best legal reports drafted for UIA’s annual Congresses. One of the two awards will be given to a young lawyer. In addition, the two winners will each receive a prize awarded by the legal publisher, Bruylant (Brussels).