The Governing Council, in its capacity as the intergovernmental preparatory body for the United Nations Conference on Desertification, is invited to consider the attached Draft Provisional Rules of Procedure for the Conference.

The Executive Director wishes to draw attention to rule 45 of the draft provisional rules of procedures which includes Arabic among the working languages of the conference. Should the Governing Council agree with this proposal. it may wish to recommend to the General Assembly at its thirty-first session that it authorize such inclusion.