Conference on Economic Crisis and Children

UNICEF and ODI are jointly hosting a conference in London November 9-10, 2009 entitled: The global economic crisis – Including children in the policy response.This conference will bring together development practitioners, policy experts and academic researchers from around the world to develop a deeper understanding of the ways in which the food and fuel price volatility, financial market volatility and global economic slowdown are affecting children, women and other vulnerable groups, and how policy responses to the crisis can put these most vulnerable groups first.

At the conference, ODI will present a report on past crises based on research it has undertaken for UNICEF as part of this broader partnership.UNICEF and ODI are hosting speakers as well as panelists who will represent a broad range of disciplines and sectors to encourage discussion of these issues of vital importance to children. Attendees will include academics, representatives from both developing and developed country governments, members of the private sector, partner agencies and IFIs and donors.

This space will house information on conference logistics, e-proceedings from the event, and active disussion of original research papers submitted by participants. Please contact us at globalpolicy AT unicef.org with any questions or comments.

Conference coverage

Photo from the opening panel at the UNICEF-ODI conference in London

Please visit Karen Grepin's blog to see her take-aways from the conference. Many thanks, Karen, for your post!

Also visit the UNICEF website to read an article posted about the conference.

Directions

Conference location: UNICEF UK, 30a Great Sutton Street, LONDON EC1V 0DU

The closest train station is Farringdon. Come out of the exit for Turnmill Street, turn left and walk up to the main road, Clerkenwell Road. Turn right onto this road and cross over. St Johns Street will be on your left, turn into this road and Great Sutton Street will be to your right. UNICEF House is on the left hand side. If you have any queries, please call the UNICEF reception: 0207 490 2388 for assistance.

Underground Stations near the conference:

Barbican (Metropolitan, Hammersmith & City, Circle lines) – 6 minute walk
Farringdon (as above) -7 minute walk
Old Street (Northern line) - 15 minute walk

Railway Stations:

Farringdon Rail – 7 minute walk

For trains to: Brighton, Bedford, Portsmouth, Wimbledon, St Albans, Luton and more, please visit First Capital Connect.

City Thameslink - 15min

Trains to: Brighton, Gatwick, Wimbledon, St Albans, Bedford
Old Street – 15min

Trains to: Welwyn Garden City, Letchworth Garden City, Stevenage & Hertford North etc
Cannon St - 25 min

Buses:

Clerkenwell Rd

• No 55 (Oxford Circus to Leyton via Hackney)
  
• No 243 (Waterloo to Wood Green via Stoke Newington)


• No 153 (Liverpool St to Finsbury Pk via Islington)
  Goswell Rd


• No 4 (Waterloo to Archway via Finsbury Pk)


• No 56 (St Bart’s Hospital to Whipps Cross via Islington)
  

Holborn Circus

• No 521 (Waterloo)
  

Airports:

Heathrow Airport

You can take the Heathrow Express to London Paddington and then the Hammersmith and City underground line towards Barking which stops at Farringdon (our nearest station).

See the London underground map for more information.

London Gatwick

You can take the First Capital Connect train from Gatwick airport to Farringdon, it will take about an hour.

Find train times here.

Hotel options for conference attendees

Conference attendees should make arrangements for lodging during the event. The list below includes hotels close to UNICEF UK, where the conference will take place. The address is: 30a Great Sutton Street, London EC1V 0DU.

We have not yet visited any of these hotels, so we can't make recommendations, but online reviews indicate that they are good quality with reasonable prices.

Milesfaster.com: This website has a list of hotels which are within 1-2 miles of UNICEF UK’s offices. You can book through this site (prices tend to include taxes and breakfast but double- check) or contact the hotels directly (full hotel details below).

• Thistle City Barbican – 10 mins from UNICEF UK. Central Street, Clerkenwell, EC1V 8DSTel: UK 0871 376 9004, Int +44 870 333 9101, CityBarbican@Thistle.co.uk. To get the best rates, call the hotel and ask for their government rate.
  
• Citadines Barbican Apartments – 8 mins from UNICEF UK7-21 Goswell Road, London EC1M 7AHApartment/hotel with double sofa beds.
  
• Holiday Inn Express London City – 20 minutes from UNICEF UK.
  
• The Rookery – 8 mins from UNICEF UK; 1 min from Farringdon tube 12 Peters Lane, London, EC1M 6DS tel: 020 73360931‎, 0871 223 5000‎


• The Zetter – 3 mins from UNICEF UK. 86-88 Clerkenwell Road, London EC1M 5RJ


• Malmaison – 10-15 mins from UNICEF UK. Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6AH. Expensive but offers ‘Saver Rates’ online.
  
• Crowne Plaza – 30-35 mins from UNICEF UK. 100 Shoreditch High Street E1 6QJ
  
• Travel Lodge London City – 20-25 mins from UNICEF UK. 7-12 City Road, London EC1Y 1AE.

Other hotel/apartments – a little further afield:

• Club Quarters, St Paul's – 1.4 miles from UNICEF UK. UNICEF HQ has a special rate with Club Quarters hotels worldwide and the password is UNICEF.
  
• MINC Apartments, Eagle Court


• MINC Apartments, Cock Lane

Other hotels which are 30-40 mins away from UNICEF UK’s office (no special rate):

IMPERIAL HOTELS

Bedford Hotel
Southampton Row, London WC1B 4HD
Reservations: + 44 (0) 20 7636 7822
info@imperialhotels.co.uk

Russell Square
London WC1B 5BB
Reservations: +44 (0)20 7837 3655
mailto:info@imperialhotels.co.uk

UNICEF UK has a special rate with Grange Hotels. The hotels below are near Russell Square/Covent Garden area (30-30 minutes’ walk from Clerkenwell). When booking your reservation, use the UNICEF Rates Access ID: 18072 for the special rate.

GRANGE HOTELS

GRANGE HOLBORN HOTEL
50-60 Southampton Row
Tel: 020 7242 1800
London WC1B 4AR
holborn.reservations@grangehotels.com

GRANGE WHITE HALL HOTEL
2-5 Montague Street
Tel: 020 7580 2224
London, WC1B 5BU
whitehall.reservations@grangehotels.com

BLOOMS TOWNHOUSE
7 Montague Street
Tel: 020 7323 1717
London, WC1B 5BP
blooms@grangehotels.com

Bloomsbury Townhouse Collection

THE BUCKINGHAM 4*
39-40 Bedford Place
Tel: 020 7636 2474
London, WC1B 5JT
reservations@the-clarendon.co.uk

THE PORTLAND
31-32 Bedford Place
Tel: 020 7580 7088
London, WC1B 5JH
reservations@the-clarendon.co.uk

THE CLARENDON
34-37 Bedford Place
Tel: 020 7307 1575
London, WC1B 5JR
reservations@the-clarendon.co.uk