2. In accordance with rule 6 of the Committee's rules of procedure, the Secretary-General has prepared, in consultation with the Chairperson of the Committee, the attached provisional agenda for the eighty-third session. Annotations to the provisional agenda are also attached.

3. Pursuant to rule 33 of the Committee's rules of procedure, the meetings of the Committee will be held in public unless the Committee decides otherwise or it appears from the relevant provisions of the Covenant or the Optional Protocol that the meetings should be held in private.

4. The attention of States parties is drawn, in particular, to the annotations to item 8, which contains the tentative timetable for the consideration of reports during the eighty-third session. In accordance with rule 68 of the Committee's rules of procedure, representatives of States parties are expected to be present at the meetings of the Committee when their reports are examined.

5. As established under rule 95 of its rules of procedure, a working group should meet for a period of one week prior to its eighty-third session. The pre-sessional working group will meet from 7 to 11 March 2005.

2. Solemn declaration by newly elected members of the Committee in accordance with article 38 of the Covenant.

3. Election of Chairperson and other officers of the Committee.

4. Adoption of the agenda.

5. Organizational and other matters.

6. Meeting with representatives of non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations.

7. Submission of reports by States parties under article 40 of the Covenant.

8. Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 40 of the Covenant and of country situations.

9. Follow-up to concluding observations on State reports and to Views under the Optional Protocol.

10. General comments of the Committee.

11. Consideration of communications under the Optional Protocol to the Covenant.

"I solemnly undertake to discharge my duties as a member of the Human Rights Committee impartially and conscientiously."

Country report task forces will examine and adopt a list of issues on the reports of Italy, Slovenia, the Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand and Yemen.

A total of 311 communications are pending before the Committee as of 24 January 2005. Pursuant to the Committee's new rules of procedure allowing the joint examination of admissibility and merits in most cases, the Committee's examination of these communications may result in the adoption of Views, or in decisions declaring the communications admissible or inadmissible.

In accordance with article 5, paragraph 3, of the Optional Protocol and rule 88 of the Committee's rules of procedure, this agenda item will be considered in closed meetings.