A/RES/59/235 1. Takes note of the note by the Secretary-General; 3 2. Stresses the importance of the implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa,1 for meeting the internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the United Nations Millennium Declaration,2 and in this regard invites all Governments to take further measures to strengthen the implementation of the Convention; 3. Invites the Secretary-General to give due consideration to the role and place of the Convention in ongoing work in the context of the preparations for the high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly in 2005, including the report of the Millennium Project; Invites the Global Environment Facility to strengthen the focal area of 4. land degradation, primarily desertification and deforestation; 5. Takes note with interest of ongoing efforts to diversify the availability of financial resources to support activities aimed at combating desertification and poverty; 6. Invites the donor community to increase its support to the Convention with a view to bringing greater international attention to bear on the issue of land degradation and desertification, which will contribute to the improvement of the sustainable development of drylands and the global environment; Invites the secretariat of the Global Environment Facility and the 7. secretariat of the Convention to finalize the draft memorandum of understanding in an expeditious way and to submit it, as mandated by Conference of the Parties decision 6/COP.6 of 3 September 2003, 4 for the consideration of and adoption by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention and the Council of the Global Environment Facility; Takes note of Conference of the Parties decision 23/COP.6 of 8. 5 September 2003 on the programme and budget for the biennium 2004–2005,4 as an ongoing process of the Conference of the Parties to undertake a comprehensive review of the activities of the secretariat, as defined in article 23, paragraph 2, of the Convention, and looks forward to the review at the seventh session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention; Urges United Nations funds and programmes, the Bretton Woods 9. institutions, the donor countries and other development agencies to integrate actions in support of the Convention into their strategies to support the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the Millennium Declaration; 10. Calls upon Governments, where appropriate, in collaboration with relevant multilateral organizations, including the Global Environment Facility implementation agencies, to integrate desertification into their plans and strategies for sustainable development; 11. Encourages countries to undertake special initiatives in observance of the International Year of Deserts and Desertification and, as they are able, to contribute to its preparatory process; _______________ 3 4 2 See A/59/197, sect. II. See ICCD/COP(6)/11/Add.1.