Participants met in plenary to hear regional reports and adopt the working groups’ recommendations on non-detriment findings (NDFs); annotations; Review of Significant Trade (RST); periodic review and Euphorbia spp.; and timber issues. The PC also addressed matters regarding nomenclature (PC17 Doc.20), the progress report on the Identification Manual (PC17 Doc.21.1) and the development of genetic techniques for the forensic identification of Gonystylus (ramin) timber and wood products (PC17 Doc.21.2 (Rev.1)).

In the afternoon, participants had a long debate, agreeing at the end with the recommendations from the working group on bigleaf mahogany and RST, which selected, amongst others, Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Venezuela, and Santa Lucia for the RST in bigleaf mahogany (PC17 WG10). The PC adopted the Executive Summary of the meeting (PC17 Sum.1, 2 and 3).

Many parties notified the PC of their interest in hosting PC18, with the PC endorsing the first offer made by Argentina. The Secretariat noted that given the timing of CoP15, PC18 should take place in February 2009.

Chair Clemente gaveled the meeting to a close at 6:36 pm.