The admission of intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations as observers at sessions of the Conference of the Parties (COP) is governed by Article 7, paragraph 6, of the Convention, which provides, inter alia, that “Any body or agency, whether national or international, governmental or non-governmental, which is qualified in matters covered by the Convention, and which has informed the secretariat of its wish to be represented at a session of the Conference of the Parties as an observer, may be so admitted unless at least one third of the Parties present object”.