Geneva, 4 February 2010 – The IPCC is an intergovernmental body sponsored by UNEP and WMO. The main decision-making body is the “Panel” which meets at regular intervals in plenary sessions at the level of government representatives of all 194 IPCC member countries. Its role as defined in the “Principles Governing IPCC Work” is “to assess on a comprehensive, objective, open and transparent basis the scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant to understanding the scientific basis of risk of human-induced climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation. IPCC reports should be neutral with respect to policy, although they may need to deal objectively with scientific, technical and socio-economic factors relevant to the application of particular policies. Review is an essential part of the IPCC process. Since the IPCC is an intergovernmental body, review of IPCC documents should involve both peer review by experts and review by governments.”