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1. The Agency shall maintain a close dialogue with relevant civil society organisations and relevant competent bodies operating in the field of asylum policy at local, regional, national, Union or international level. For that purpose, the Agency shall set up a Consultative Forum.

2. The Consultative Forum shall constitute a mechanism for the exchange of information and the sharing of knowledge. The Consultative Forum shall ensure a close dialogue between the Agency and relevant organisations and bodies referred to in paragraph 1.

3. The Agency shall invite the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, the UNHCR and other relevant organisations and bodies referred to in paragraph 1 to be members of the Consultative Forum. On a proposal of the Executive Director, the Management Board shall decide on the composition of the Consultative Forum, including on thematic or geographically focused consultation groups, and on the conditions for transmitting information to the Consultative Forum. The Consultative Forum shall, after consulting the Management Board and the Executive Director, establish its working methods, including thematic or geographically focused working groups as deemed necessary and useful.

4. The Consultative Forum shall advise the Executive Director and the Management Board on asylum-related matters in accordance with the Agency’s specific needs in areas identified as a priority for its work.

5. The Consultative Forum shall, in particular:

(a) make suggestions to the Management Board on the annual and multi-annual programming referred to in Article 42;

(b) provide feedback to the Management Board and suggest measures as follow-up to the annual report on the situation of asylum in the Union referred to in Article 69; and (c) communicate to the Executive Director and the Management Board the conclusions and recommendations of conferences, seminars and meetings, and the findings from studies or field work carried out by any of the member organisations or bodies of the Consultative Forum which is relevant to the work of the Agency.

6. The Consultative Forum shall be consulted on the preparation, adoption and implementation of the fundamental rights strategy referred to in Article 57(3) and the code of conduct referred to in Article 58, the setting up of the complaints mechanism referred to in Article 51 and the development of the European asylum curriculum referred to in Article 8(3).

7. The Consultative Forum shall meet in full session at least once a year and shall organise meetings for the thematic or geographically focused consultation groups as necessary.