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All systems go for COP11

Massivve conference tents to house all the delegates of COP11 are being erected at the Windhoek Country Club and Resort. (Photograph by Melba Chipepo)

Massivve conference tents to house all the delegates of COP11 are being erected at the Windhoek Country Club and Resort. (Photograph by Melba Chipepo)

The Windhoek Country Club and Resort is a flurry of activity to get everything ready for the Conference of Parties scheduled to start in just over two weeks.
Large areas of the resort are revamped to serve as the Headquarters of the11th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP11).
Between 2000 and 3000 delegates from the 195-country Parties of the UNCCD, various UN organisations as well as intergovernmental and civil society organisations are expected to debate and arrive at solutions for improving the living conditions of people in drylands; maintaining and restoring land and soil productivity; and mitigating the effects of drought.
These are critical issues for Namibia, especially during the current drought situation facing the country.
With only 16 days left before the UNCCD COP11 kicks off from 16 to 27 September 2013, the Windhoek Country Club and Resort is setting up four tents that will be used for the conference. This work is far advanced.
“There will be two smaller tents and two big tents which will all be used during the conference. Construction of these tents started late August and will soon be completed in early September,” said Deon Jordaan, Regional Manager Gaming of Legacy Hotels, of which the Country Club is part. He said construction modules to set up the tents were made available by a South African company.
Speaking during a press conference, Jordaan also announced that the Desert Jewel Casino will temporarily close its operations during the duration of the conference.
“Premium Club members and the general public will be able to participate in an exciting competition on Radio Kosmos. A minimum of N$80,000 cash will be up for grabs. If a Premium Club member wins, Desert Jewel Casino will double their winnings,” said Jordaan.
He added that competition winners will be able to collect their winnings from Desert Jewel Casino on 05 October 2013. All winners who are at Desert Jewel Casino on 05 October will be entered in a lucky draw and the winner will receive an additional N$12,500 on top of their competition winnings.
Desert Jewel Casino will also donate N$50,000 to assist with the curent drought relief efforts in the country. “We challenge other Namibian businesses to match or better our contribution in joining us to assist relevant parties in their efforts to mitigate drought effects and manage desertification in our very arid country,” said Jordaan.
According to Jordaan, the Country Club will offer atleast 140 temporary jobs for the duration of the conference adding that all 152 rooms at the resort have been booked out to the delegates attending the conference.

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