meetings of the Commission and Subsidiary bodies in 2002
	Dates Venue Subsidiary body 2 - 6 December  Seychelles Seventh Session of the Commission 26 - 29 November Seychelles Fifth Session of the Scientific Committee 25 November Seychelles Fourth meeting of the Working Party on Data Collection and Statistics (WPDCS) September 2002 Bandar Abbas, Iran First meeting of the Working Party on Neritic Tunas (WPNT) 3-11 June 2002 Shanghai, China Ad hoc meeting of the Working Party on Methods (WPM) 3-11 June 2002 Shanghai, China Fourth meeting of the Working Party on Tagging (WPT) 3-11 June 2002 Shanghai, China Fourth meeting of the Working Party on Tropical Tunas (WPTT)

Commission Meetings, unless specified otherwise, are open to participation by observers. Delegates of FAO Members automatically qualify as observers, and non-governmental organizations may attend meetings if invited to do so by the Commission. Observers may address the sessions and present memoranda but do not vote.

Meetings of the Scientific Committee and other subsidiary bodies are formally considered to be restricted to delegates of contracting parties, but the current position of the Commission is that, in the interest of transparency and within the limits imposed by space and logistic constraints, observers may participate freely.

The Rules of Procedure of the Commission, which also cover its subsidiary bodies, specify that the cost of participation in meetings and inter-sessional activities are not to be covered from the Commission budget.