E/2021/25 E/CN.9/2021/6 Chapter VII Organization of the session A. Opening and duration of the session 15. The Commission on Population and Development held its fifty-fourth session at United Nations Headquarters from 19 to 23 April 2021. The Commission held two meetings (1st and 2nd). 16. The Commission, pursuant to the organization of work adopted at its 1st meeting, held on 19 April 2021, and taking into account the impact of the prevailing conditions relating to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on the working arrangements for its fifty-fourth session and the available technological and procedural solutions for the interim period, also convened seven virtual informal meetings. The proceedings of the virtual informal meetings are reflected in annex II to the pres ent report. 17. At its 1st meeting, on 19 April, the Chair of the Commission, Yemdaogo Eric Tiare (Burkina Faso), opened the regular session. 18. At the same meeting, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations; the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, African Integration and Burkinabè Abroad of Burkina Faso, Alpha Barry; the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); the Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; the President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development; the Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development and Chief Economist of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, on behalf of the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs; and the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the 2021 Food Systems Summit made statements. 19. Also at the same meeting, a keynote address was made by the Queen Mother of Bhutan, UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador and recipient of the 2020 United Nations Population Award, Gyalyum Sangay Choden Wangchuck. B. Attendance 20. The session was attended by representatives of 36 States members of the Commission. Observers for other States Members of the United Nations, non-member States and intergovernmental organizations, and representatives of United Nations system organizations and of non-governmental organizations also attended. The list of participants will be available in document E/CN.9/2021/INF/1. C. Election of officers 21. In accordance with Economic and Social Council decisions 2020/205, 2020/206 and 2020/219, the Commission concluded the election of the following under silence procedure, as confirmed in a letter dated 17 July 2020 from the Chair of the Commission at its fifty-third session, with effect from 17 July 2020: Yemdaogo Eric Tiare (Burkina Faso) as Chair and Nizar Kaddouh (Lebanon) and Damla Fidan (Turkey) as Vice-Chairs. In the same letter, the Chair indicated that the election of the members of the Bureau from Eastern European States and Latin American and Caribbean States would be postponed, on the understanding that, upon nomination, the candidates would be allowed to participate in the meetings of the Bureau held in preparation for the fifty-fourth session. 26/32 21-06093