A/RES/54/61 Page 3 (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction,1 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 to be considered at a special conference;8 2. Notes with satisfaction the increase in the number of States parties to the Convention, and reaffirms the call 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, duly noting the forthcoming anniversary of the twenty-fifth year of the entry into force of the Convention; 3. 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 an early resolution of the outstanding issues through renewed flexibility in order to complete the protocol on the basis of consensus at the earliest possible date; 4. 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;2 5. 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,3 including all necessary assistance to the Ad Hoc Group and the special conference that is to consider the report of the Ad Hoc Group, in accordance with its mandate, as confirmed by the Fourth Review Conference; 6. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-fifth session the item entitled “Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction”. 69th plenary meeting 1 December 1999 8 See BWC/CONF.IV/9.