VIII. FUTURE MEETINGS OF THE COMMITTEE 204. In accordance with rule 2 of its rules of procedure, the Committee shall normally hold two regular sessions each year. Regular sessions of the Committee shall be convened at dates decided by the Committee in consultation with the Secretary-General, taking into account the calendar of conferences as approved by the General Assembly. 205. As the calendar of meetings held within the framework of the United Nations is submitted by the Secretary-General on a biennial basis for the approval of the Committee on Conferences and the General Assembly, the Committee took decisions on the schedule of its meetings to be held in 1996 and 1997. 206. At its 225th meeting, on 4 May 1995, the Committee decided to hold its regular sessions for the next biennium at the United Nations Office at Geneva on the following dates: Sixteenth session 29 April to 10 May 1996 Seventeenth session 11 to 22 November 1996 Eighteenth session 28 April to 9 May 1997 Nineteenth session 10 to 21 November 1997 207. In addition, the Committee recalled that, in accordance with rule 1 of its rules of procedure, it should hold meetings as might be required for the satisfactory performance of its functions. 208. The Committee expressed concern at the lack of time available during its two annual regular meetings to cope with the great complexity of its work and the intensive pace of its operations resulting from the increase in the number of States parties to the Convention, the new cycle of periodic reports submitted by States parties, the increasing amount of information received under the inquiry procedure and the growing number of communications submitted under the individual communications procedure. 209. The Committee therefore decided to request the General Assembly to authorize the Secretary-General to schedule an additional regular session of one week’s duration each year, beginning in 1996. -30-