1. Opening of the meeting.

2. Organizational matters

1. Opening of the meeting.

Note by the secretariat

1. At its first meeting, the Conference of the Parties: (a) Noted with appreciation the preparatory work already undertaken by the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on the elaboration of the procedures and mechanisms called for by article 17, and especially that reflected in the note by the secretariat on procedures and institutional mechanisms for determining non compliance with the provisions of the Convention and for the treatment of Parties found to be in non-compliance, prepared for the first meeting of the Conference (UNEP/FAO/RC/COP.1/20); and

Introduction

1. In its decision RC-1/10 on non-compliance, adopted at its first meeting, held in Geneva from 20 to 24 September 2004, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade (Rotterdam Convention) decided to convene an open-ended ad hoc working group on article 17 immediately prior to its second meeting with a view to preparing for and carrying forward deliberations on the issue. In its article 17, the Convention states: