Organized on 20 June 2002 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, the 7th Senior Officials Meeting recognized the achievement of the NEASPEC projects on pollution control and environmental monitoring, data collection, comparability and analysis. It also recommended the initiation of the programme on nature conservation through the organization of an expert meeting and the establishment of a working group of national focal points to identify priority areas for development of projects on nature conservation and exchange of information on issues and problems. Moreover, SOM-8 supported the involvement of stakeholders and recognized several areas for action such as capacity building, exchange of information and expertise, data base management, scientific research and use of Geographical Information System (GIS). The Meeting also encouraged the development of the GEF project on dust and sand storms through collaborative efforts of international organizations and the increase of public awareness on NEASPEC at the national, regional and global levels.