A/RES/52/47 Page 2 ad hoc group of governmental experts open to all States parties to identify and examine potential verification measures from a scientific and technical standpoint, Recalling also its resolution 48/65, adopted without a vote on 16 December 1993, in which it commended the final report of the Ad Hoc Group of Governmental Experts to Identify and Examine Potential Verification Measures from a Scientific and Technical Standpoint,4 agreed to by consensus at the last meeting of the Ad Hoc Group at Geneva on 24 September 1993, Recalling further 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,5 adopted by consensus on 30 September 1994, 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, Recalling the provisions of the Convention related to scientific and technological cooperation and the related provisions of the final report of the Ad Hoc Group of Governmental Experts, the final report of the Special Conference of the States Parties to the Convention, held from 19 to 30 September 1994, and the final documents of the Review Conferences, 1. Welcomes the information and data provided to date, and reiterates its call upon all States parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction 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 2. Also welcomes the progress made by the Ad Hoc Group towards fulfilling the mandate established by the Special Conference of the States Parties to the Convention on 30 September 1994, and urges the Ad Hoc Group to intensify its work with a view to completing it as soon as possible before the commencement of the Fifth Review Conference and to submit its report, which shall be adopted by consensus, to the States parties to be considered at a special conference; 3. Further welcomes in this context the steps taken by the Ad Hoc Group, as encouraged by the Fourth Review Conference, to review its methods of work and, in particular, the start of negotiations on a rolling text of a protocol to the Convention; 4. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to render the necessary assistance to the depositary Governments of the Convention and 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 Special Conference, including all necessary assistance to the Ad Hoc Group; 5. Calls upon all signatory States that have not yet ratified the Convention to do so without delay, and also 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; 4 BWC/CONF.III/VEREX/9 and Corr.1. 5 BWC/SPCONF/1. /...