meetings of the Commission and Subsidiary bodies in 2004
	Dates Venue Subsidiary body   MAY 30 TO JUNE 3RD, 2005 Seychelles Ninth Session of the Commission November 8-12 Seychelles Seventh Session of the Scientific Committee September 27-October 1st Mauritius Working Party on Billfish August, 2-6 Shimizu, Japan Working Party on temperate tunas July 22-23 Seychelles Working Party on Tagging July 13-21 Seychelles Working Party on Tropical Tunas July 12 Seychelles Working Party on Methods   to be announced to be announced Working Party on neritic tunas         Note : the list of the meetings recently held in 2003 can be consulted here.

other meetings involving iotc
	Dates Venue Description March Seychelles Regional Workshop on data collection and processing

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.