8. The Meeting of the Ad hoc Legal and Financial Working Group of APFIC was convened at the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand, from 6 to 8 July 1999 under the chairmanship of Dr. Arsenio S. Camacho, Chairman of APFIC. Eleven Member States accepted the invitation to attend the meeting. A list of the participants is given in Appendix B.
9. In his opening address, the Chairman of APFIC referred to the decision of the Commission and stressed the important task placed before the Working Group in guiding the Commission on its future direction. He expressed appreciation for the support provided by FAO to APFIC since its inception and requested all Member States to consider ways and means to assist APFIC in carrying out its future programmes of work effectively.
10. He noted that, while rendering service to the region, the Commission was affected by some constraints, most significant of which was the persistent lack of funding support. Moreover, Resolution 13/93 adopted by the FAO Conference in 1997 expressed the need for self-financing by regional bodies while responding to the ever growing needs of their members. He expressed hope that the Working Group would contribute positively to resolve these issues for APFIC to continue promoting the role of fisheries in food security, poverty alleviation and global competitiveness.
