obtain visas in time. Technical Committee The Technical Committee was established at the First MoP on 29 November 2008 and has the following members: One representative of each range state with professional capacity in wildlife conservation; One representative from UNEP/GRASP; One expert from each of the following fields: forest management and conservation (as of 2012 Dr. Conrad Aveling), environmental law (as of 2012 David Higgins from INTERPOL), wild animal health (as of 2012 Patricia Reed from WCS). The Technical Committee would normally convene once between regular triennial MoP. The committee can work by correspondence between formal meetings. The main task of the Technical Committee is to provide scientific and technical advice and information to the MoP and the parties and make recommendations concerning the action plan, implementation of the agreement and further research to be carried out. In addition, in the event of an emergency affecting the conservation status of one or more gorilla taxa, the committee can call for steps to be taken to reduce this threat. The First meeting of the Technical Committee took place in Kigali, Rwanda, 29–30 March 2011. Secretariat The secretariat is the executive body of the agreement. The CMS Secretariat is acting as the Interim Secretariat to the Gorilla Agreement, as agreed at the 32nd CMS Standing Committee in November 2007. Bradnee Chambers serves in his capacity as executive secretary of CMS as the acting executive secretary of the Gorilla Agreement since March 2013. The establishment of an independent secretariat, as mentioned in Article VII of the agreement, depends on financing. It was decided on the 2nd MoP in 2011 that the interim secretariat shall investigate the possibility of a party or an organization/institution - such as UNEP or GRASP - hosting the permanent secretariat. The main tasks of the secretariat are the following: Arrange and service the MoP and meeting of the Technical Committee and other working groups Execute decisions adopted by the MoP Promote and coordinate activities under the Gorilla Agreement, including the action plan Liaise with non-party states and to facilitate coordination between the parties and with international and national organizations Propose and administer the budget Provide information for the general public Action plans Article VIII of the Gorilla Agreement states that the parties shall adopt action plans for all species and sub-species of gorillas. These plans specify the actions that will be undertaken consistent with the general conservation measures specified