Reporting to Foreign Ministers, a Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) has normally been held twice a year, once on the eve of Ministerial or Summit meetings and once separately. No Chairman's Statement is issued publicly after these meetings, although the Chairman does write to participants summarising the main conclusions of the meeting.

Senior Officials' Meetings have been held in Dublin (20 December 1996), Luxembourg (30-31 October 1997), London (19-20 February 1998), Bangkok (27-28 October 1998), Rovaniemi (2-4 November 1999) and Lisbon (2-3 May 2000), Seoul (19-20 September 2000), in Sweden (25-27 April 2001) and last time in Lanzarote/Spain (4-5 April 2002).

A Coordinators' Meeting, bringing together the four coordinating partners (currently China and Vietnam, plus the EU Presidency and the European Commission) is held as and when necessary.