United Nations A/RES/61/204 General Assembly Distr.: General 19 January 2007 Sixty-first session Agenda item 53 (f) Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 20 December 2006 [on the report of the Second Committee (A/61/422/Add.6)] 61/204. Convention on Biological Diversity The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 55/201 of 20 December 2000, 56/197 of 21 December 2001, 57/253 and 57/260 of 20 December 2002, 58/212 of 23 December 2003, 59/236 of 22 December 2004 and 60/202 of 22 December 2005, Recalling also the 2005 World Summit Outcome, 1 Reiterating that the Convention on Biological Diversity 2 is the key international instrument for the conservation and sustainable use of biological resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources, Noting that one hundred eighty-eight States and one regional economic integration organization have ratified the Convention, Recalling the commitments of the World Summit on Sustainable Development to pursue a more efficient and coherent implementation of the three objectives of the Convention and the achievement by 2010 of a significant reduction in the current rate of loss of biological diversity, which will require action at all levels, including the implementation of national biodiversity strategies and action plans and the provision of new and additional financial and technical resources to developing countries, Concerned by the continued loss of biological diversity, and acknowledging that an unprecedented effort would be needed to achieve by 2010 a significant reduction in the rate of loss of biological diversity, Acknowledging the contribution that the ongoing work of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore, of the World Intellectual Property Organization, can make in enhancing the effective implementation of the provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Noting the contribution that South-South cooperation can make in the area of biological diversity, _______________ 1 2 06-50661 See resolution 60/1. United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1760, No. 30619.