A/RES/55/40 (biological) and toxin weapons and their development, production and stockpiling are effectively prohibited under article I of the Convention, Recalling its resolution 49/86, adopted without a vote on 15 December 1994, in which it welcomed the final report of the Special Conference of the States Parties to the Convention, adopted by consensus on 30 September 1994, 4 in which the States parties agreed to establish an ad hoc group, open to all States parties, whose objective should be to consider appropriate measures, including possible verification measures, and draft proposals to strengthen the Convention, to be included, as appropriate, in a legally binding instrument to be submitted for the consideration of the States parties, 1. Notes with satisfaction the increase in the number of States parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction, 1 reaffirms the call upon all signatory States that have not yet ratified the Convention to do so without delay, and calls upon those States that have not signed the Convention to become parties thereto at an early date, thus contributing to the achievement of universal adherence to the Convention; 2. Welcomes the information and data provided to date, and reiterates its call upon all States parties to the Convention to participate in the exchange of information and data agreed to in the Final Declaration of the Third Review Conference of the Parties to the Convention;2 3. Welcomes also the progress achieved so far in the negotiation of a protocol to strengthen the Convention, and reaffirms the decision of the Fourth Review Conference of the Parties to the Convention urging the conclusion of the negotiations by the Ad Hoc Group of Governmental Experts to Identify and Examine Potential Verification Measures from a Scientific and Technical Standpoint as soon as possible before the commencement of the Fifth Review Conference and urging it to submit its report, which shall be adopted by consensus, to the States parties for consideration at a Special Conference; 4. Calls upon all States parties, in this context, to accelerate the negotiations, and to redouble their efforts within the Ad Hoc Group to formulate an efficient, cost-effective and practical regime and to seek early resolution of the outstanding issues through renewed flexibility in order to complete the protocol in accordance with the decision of the Fourth Review Conference; 5. Notes that, at the request of the States parties, the Fifth Review Conference of the Parties to the Convention will be held at Geneva from 19 November to 7 December 2001, and that, after appropriate consultation, a Preparatory Committee for that Conference, open to all States parties to the Convention, was established and will meet at Geneva from 25 to 27 April 2001; 6. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to render the necessary assistance to the depositary Governments of the Convention, to provide such services as may be required for the implementation of the decisions and recommendations of the Review Conferences, as well as the decisions contained in the final report of the 1994 Special Conference of the States Parties to the Convention, 4 including all necessary assistance to the Ad Hoc Group and the Special Conference, which is to consider the report of the Ad Hoc Group, in accordance with its mandate, as confirmed by the Fourth Review Conference, and to render the 2