SECTION 24

Secretariat 1. The Conference of the Parties shall designate a permanent secretariat and make arrangements for its functioning. The Conference of the Parties shall endeavour to do so at its first session. 2. Until such time as a permanent secretariat is designated and established, secretariat functions under this Convention shall be provided by the World Health Organization. 3. Secretariat functions shall be: (a) to make arrangements for sessions of the Conference of the Parties and any subsidiary bodies and to provide them with services as required; 23 (b) to transmit reports received by it pursuant to the Convention; (c) to provide support to the Parties, particularly developing country Parties and Parties with economies in transition, on request, in the compilation and communication of information required in accordance with the provisions of the Convention; (d) to prepare reports on its activities under the Convention under the guidance of the Conference of the Parties and submit them to the Conference of the Parties; (e) to ensure, under the guidance of the Conference of the Parties, the necessary coordination with the competent international and regional intergovernmental organizations and other bodies; (f) to enter, under the guidance of the Conference of the Parties, into such administrative or contractual arrangements as may be required for the effective discharge of its functions; and (g) to perform other secretariat functions specified by the Convention and by any of its protocols and such other functions as may be determined by the Conference of the Parties.