The Chairman informed the Committee of requests he had received from organizations which did not have an official status of observer to meetings of the Committee that they should be allowed to address the Committee. The Secretariat explained the decisions which the Committee had taken at previous sessions when similar requests had been received, namely that such groups would not be authorized to address the Committee direct nor to circulate material in the meeting room and that they should be requested to contact their national delegations; since the meeting of the Committee was public, these groups could however attend as members of the general public. The Committee confirmed its previous decisions.