"Do go to Senegal, gateway to Black Africa. Fly there in under five hours, from Europe to hundreds of miles of soft sandy beaches. From December to May, there lies the California of Africa. Sea, the Canaries' stream gently warms up. Cool air, gently swept up by trade-winds. Cloudless skies streaming with blazing sunshine that warms, invigorates and gives white skins the velvet touch of black skins. Do visit Kayar beach where miraculous loads of fish are carried ashore, Niokolo-Koba Park where lions and elephants, hippopotamuses and buffaloes enjoy free life..." Leopold Sèdar Senghor

The The Forum will be held at the ultra modern, purpose-built, Meridien President Hotel. The Meridien President Hotel boasts a number of world-class meeting halls and display areas. The Forum events will be held within the hotel facilities including the plenary sessions, the gala dinners, other banquets and meals, the individual meetings and the Forum Exhibition. The hotel is fully air-conditioned and has state-of-the-art audiovisual and interpretation facilities.

Meridien President is located in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, which is a bustling city, representing the cornucopia of African enterprise at its best, a product of the wide range of cultural groups that have migrated to this historic city over the past centuries. The architecture is a pastiche of medieval European roots, blended to modern day African architecture, providing a fascinating backdrop to the waterfront that is the North Atlantic Ocean, with some of the very best beaches.

Being a former French colony, you will find French the common language, but with a wealth of tribal dialects very much in evidence, Wolof being the most dominant. The city's name came from 'dakhar' - a Wolof name for the tamarind tree. The city supports a population of over 1.3 million people. The main ethnic groups in the region are Wolof, Mandinka, Peul, Diola, Soninke and Serer. Over 80% of the population practice Islam. The remaining population are either christians or practitioners of traditional religions.

Looking at Senegal in general, from Saint-Louis, the old capital of a thriving colonial past, to Zinguinchor, the accommodating Casamance, and Gorée, the Rose Island, the amateur urban visitor will undoubtedly find more than enough to be excited about. Unbelievably natural, you will be excited by curiosities like that of the Pink Lake, which provides a subdued background to other colours, the Fadiouth Shells Island, or by the various national parks of the country.

With so many places to visit and very little time to see them, it will undoubtedly be necessary for you to choose between the various parks - either the Djoudj, the third ornithological reserve of the world, found in the mangrove of the delta of the Senegal River, or the Niokolo Koba park, where large mammals like lions, hippopotamuses, buffaloes and elephants roam freely in the heart of the savanna.

Also, one of Senegal's strengths is its population, which is a true mixture of various ethnic groups, whose principal qualities are their sense of hospitality, humour and communication. For more information about Senegal visit: The Government Of Senegal