The annual course in international law librarianship is the Association’s main meeting and educational event of the year. There are three main themes this year:

· Law and Social Change

· Rights and Law

· South African law and legal literature

Registration

The Registration Desk is just inside the lobby of the Breakwater building. It will be staffed by Africa Unique staff or one of the Local Organising Committee on Sunday from 9.30am to 5.30pm (except lunch 12.00 to 1.00) and until lunchtime on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.

The full registration fee includes all academic sessions, all lunches on the programme, all refreshment breaks on the programme, transport to the base of Table Mountain on Sunday, the Welcome Reception on Sunday, Dinner at the Africa Café on Monday, Excursion to Robben Island and sundowner drink at Docks Restaurant on Tuesday, Excursion to Cape Point on Wednesday and the Annual Reception and Dinner on Thursday. It does not include the Table Mountain cable car fare, dinner on Tuesday or dinner on Wednesday. The accompanying person registration and the exhibitor registration includes everything in the full registration except the academic sessions.

Accommodation

Most delegates will be in:

• Commodore Hotel, Portswood Road, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town Tel: +27 21 415 1000 Fax: +27 21 415 1100/77
• Breakwater Lodge, Portswood Road, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town Tel: +27 21 406-1911 Fax: +27 21 406-1070

There is a map on the Hotel Information Sheet.

To reserve transfers from the airport to your hotel see the Travel section below.

Location

The Association’s annual meeting is being held for the first time in South Africa, in Cape Town, the gateway to Africa near to the meeting point of two oceans. Cape Town is perched between the oceans and Table Mountain, with a National Park as its heart. Cape Town is steeped in a rich history and is a cultural melting pot with its diverse and vibrant character being derived from the influences of the many peoples making up this 'rainbow nation'.  A recent poll rated Cape Town the best city holiday destination worldwide and our numbers are limited so book early!

Average Climate Information for Cape Town. (From South African Weather Service)

Venue

The conference venue is the University of Cape Town's Breakwater Campus, housing its Graduate Business School. It is a minute away from restaurants, pubs, theatres and shops, perfectly positioned next to  Victoria and Alfred Waterfront development, an exciting and stimulating tourist area. It is in easy reach of main routes to the beaches, mountain walks, city hotspots, and airport. An historical building and former gaol, it has been remodelled with the latest equipment and purpose-built lecture rooms. Refreshment breaks and a publishers’ exhibition will be in the lobby and we will take our buffet lunches in the Stonebreakers Restaurant. Comfortable inexpensive accommodation is available onsite, as well as in a choice of hotels very close by.

Travel

When you have finalised your travel plans, you can reserve direct transport from the Airport to your hotel on theTransfer Reservation Form!

Cape Town airport has a wide range of domestic and international links; a guide can be found at  http://www.worldairportguide.com/Airports/cpt/cpt.asp. Authorised airport taxis and shuttle buses run into the city. Visa information is at, for example, http://www.worldtravelguide.net/data/zaf/zaf040.asp, but check this with your own authorities.

If you require assistance with travel, transfers or want to book additional travel and accommodation in South Africa, Africa Unique conference services will assist you. They will be available throughout the conference. The opportunities for pre- and post-conference tours are boundless, with excellent one-day tours of the Peninsula or nearby winelands or weekend tours to game reserves or the coastal ‘Garden Route’.

Links

The Association homepage is at http://iall.org
and here are some links to explore:
http://www.llrx.com/features/southafrica.htm
http://www.anc.org.za
http://www.southafrica.net
http://www.cape-town.org
http://www.gocapetown.co.za
http://www.wine.co.za
http://www.getawaytoafrica.com

Social Events

On Sunday you can take the opportunity to visit Table Mountain; transport to the foot of the cable car and back is provided. The conference will open on Sunday night with a buffet reception at the Two Oceans Aquarium. On Monday evening we will feast at Africa Café. On Tuesday afternoon there is a visit by ferry to Robben Island with an extended educational tour followed by a drinks reception on our return to the Waterfront. On Wednesday there will be sessions at the University of Cape Town Law School and an excursion to see the outstanding natural beauty of the Cape Peninsula. On Thursday the Annual Dinner will be at at the Neethlingshof Wine Estate, preceded by a tour and tasting. See the descriptions below.

Excursion & Social Events

Africa Café  Enjoy a communal feast to the sound of drumming and take a culinary journey through Africa from north to south. Whether it is finger foods from Malawi or a plate served under a thatched khaya, all African meals are shared. Your table is heaped with a feast of dishes that celebrate the African continent and the dishes are refilled as often as you want. Don’t miss the great shop for Africa Café souvenirs.

Boulders Beach just along the coast from Cape Town is famous for its colony of endangered African penguins. The daily life of these little (50cm tall) penguins can be viewed sometimes from only a few feet away. 

Cape Point  A unique place with sheer sea cliffs at the tip of the Cape Peninsula with a view all the way to the Antarctic! Take the funicular to the old lighthouse and breathe some of the freshest air in the world.

Neethlingshof Wine Estate  A beautiful wine estate in superb countryside on the wine route not far from Stellenbosch, it has superb gardens and is approached down the one kilometre Pine Avenue. The estate began to be farmed in 1692 and produces some of the finest award-winning wines from the Cape.

Robben Island. For nearly 400 years, Robben Island was a place of banishment, exile, isolation and imprisonment. During the apartheid years it became internationally known for its institutional brutality.  Freedom fighters imprisoned on the Island succeeded on a psychological and political level in turning a prison 'hell-hole' into a symbol of freedom, personal liberation and the triumph of the human spirit over enormous hardship and adversity. We are honoured to be hosted by Dr. Ahmed Kathrada, Chairperson of the Robben Island Museum Council and former inmate.

Table Mountain rises above Cape Town and gives a view in fine weather of two oceans, the Indian and the Atlantic. The top is approximately 3km wide, and at its highest point rises to 1085m. Over the centuries it has become one of South Africa's most famous landmarks.