41. The Executive Committee was informed of the arrangements for the Twenty-eighth Session of APFIC to be hosted by the Government of Thailand to be held during August 2004 as outlined in document APFIC:ExCo/03/5. It was unanimously agreed that this session of the Commission would be crucial, as it would open a new era with APFIC playing a prominent role as a Regional Consultative Body. The Committee endorsed the suggestions by the Secretariat regarding the tentative schedule of the APFIC Session covering a period of three days. The substantive issues to be discussed include analysis of the state of small-scale fisheries of the Asia-Pacific region, its potential and issues implicating its sustainability; the future role of APFIC; the format, content and conduct of the Regional Consultative Forum; the format of a report containing the recommendations arising out of the Forum for submission to COFI; and global activities of interest to APFIC. It accordingly directed the Secretariat to consult with the host government as to the exact dates, venue and the arrangements for the meeting and to report to the Committee accordingly.
42. The Committee concurred with the proposal set forth by the Secretariat regarding the tentative schedule of activities including the preparation of the Twenty-eighth Session of APFIC from the present to 2010 as outlined in Appendix F.
43. The Committee noted that three regional consultative fora would be held before the end of the year 2011. It believed that the Commission should have ample opportunity to make a self-evaluation of its performance and to decide on its future in light of the sunset clause as agreed at the Twenty-seventh Session of APFIC.
