United Nations A/RES/55/201 General Assembly Distr.: General 8 February 2001 Fifty-fifth session Agenda item 95 (b) Resolution adopted by the General Assembly [on the report of the Second Committee (A/55/582/Add.2)] 55/201. Convention on Biological Diversity The General Assembly, Recalling its resolution 54/221 of 22 December 1999 on the Convention on Biological Diversity 1 and other relevant resolutions, including its resolution 49/119 of 19 December 1994, in which it proclaimed 29 December, the date of the entry into force of the Convention, the International Day for Biological Diversity, Recalling also the provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Reaffirming that the conservation of biological diversity is a common concern of humankind, Recalling that States have, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law, the sovereign right to exploit their own resources pursuant to their own environmental policies and the responsibility to ensure that activities within their jurisdiction or control do not cause damage to the environment of other States or of areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction, Recalling Agenda 21, 2 in particular its chapter 15 on the conservation of biological diversity, chapter 16 on the environmentally sound management of biotechnology and related chapters, Having considered the report of the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity as submitted by the Secretary-General to the General Assembly at its fifty-fifth session, 3 Emphasizing the importance of public education and awareness for the implementation of the Convention at all levels, Noting the recommendation of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity at its fifth meeting that the date of the International Day for Biological Diversity be changed to give it greater visibility, 1 See United Nations Environment Programme, Convention on Biological Diversity (Environmental Law and Institution Programme Activity Centre), June 1992. 2 Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.93.I.8 and corrigenda), vol. I: Resolutions adopted by the Conference, resolution 1, annex II. 3 See A/55/211. 00 57121