Ambassador Dumisani S. Kumalo, Chairman of the Group of 77 in New York, suggested in his letter dated 15 May 2006, to convene a meeting of a group of experts for the preparation of a four-year plan of action on South-South cooperation for the implementation of the threefold objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, which will be submitted to the 9th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP-9). In response to this request, the Secretariat will host in Montreal, from 6 to 8 November 2006, at the Seat of the Secretariat, a brainstorming session to discuss the preparation of such an expert meeting.