In the morning plenary, the 17th meeting of the Plants Committee (PC17) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) addressed timber issues, including: the progress report on the implementation of the action plan for bigleaf mahogany (PC17 Doc.16.1.1); the recommendations of the International Workshop of Experts on non-detriment findings (NDFs) on Bigleaf Mahogany (PC17 Doc.16.1.2); volumetric conversion of standing trees to exportable mahogany sawn wood (PC17 Doc.16.1.3); the progress report on the joint CITES- International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) timber project; progress made towards implementing the Action Plan on Cedrela odorata, Dalbergia retusa, D. granadillo, and D. stevensonii (PC17 Doc.16.3); and problems regarding population-specific Appendix III listings (PC17 Doc.16.4). The PC also discussed the transport of live plants (PC17 Doc.16.5), and agreed to discuss the issue under the PC/AC Joint Session.

The PC agreed to include bigleaf mahogany in the Review of Significant Trade (RST), but recommended that the review be limited to those parties that are not correctly implementing Article IV (Regulation of Trade in Specimens of Species included in Appendix II) of the Convention. A working group, chaired by Kenneth Farr (Canada), was formed to, among other matters, identify such countries.

In the afternoon, participants met within working groups on: the RST in specimens of Appendix II species; NDFs on medicinal plants; periodic review of plant species included in the CITES appendices; annotations on Orchidaceae; the inclusion of bigleaf mahogany in the RST; and hybrids and cultivars.