The admission of intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as observers at sessions of the Conference of the Parties (COP) is governed by Article 7, paragraph 6, of the Convention, which provides that, inter alia:

“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.”