A/RES/56/198 designation and graduation, of least developed countries and its importance to relevant small island developing States, 1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General; 9 2. Reiterates the urgent need for strong and effective implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States 2 and of the Declaration and review document adopted by the General Assembly at its twenty-second special session 3 to assist those States in their efforts to enhance their capacities to achieve sustainable development; 3. Welcomes efforts made at the national, subregional and regional levels to implement the Programme of Action; 4. Invites the relevant organs and agencies of the United Nations system and the regional commissions and organizations, within their respective mandates, to reflect measures for the implementation of the Programme of Action in their programmes; 5. Invites donors, as well as all relevant organs and agencies of the United Nations and other regional and international organizations, to provide appropriate support to the interregional preparatory meeting of small island developing States for the World Summit on Sustainable Development; 6. Invites all relevant stakeholders, non-governmental organizations and the private sector to participate fully in the activities identified for the further implementation of and effective follow-up to the Programme of Action; 7. Urges all relevant organizations to finalize, as a matter of urgency, the work on the development of a vulnerability index, taking into account the particular circumstances and needs of small island developing States; 8. Welcomes the strengthened Small Island Developing States Unit, and requests the Secretary-General to consider ways to strengthen the Unit further, inter alia, by establishing the Small Island Developing States Information Network within the Unit and by assisting small island developing States with, inter alia, project implementation advice and assistance in the identification of short- and long-term capacity needs through coordination with regional and international institutions, and to make proposals in that regard; 9. Calls upon the Secretary-General to consider further cost-effective ways and means of increasing and improving the United Nations system-wide coordination and dissemination of information on activities in support of small island developing States and the Programme of Action, through the Small Island Developing States Unit, including concrete measures for improving coordination within the United Nations system; 10. Welcomes the contributions of donor countries to the strengthening of the Small Island Developing States Unit and the Small Island Developing States Information Network, and encourages other Member States to make contributions, in particular in support of the Network; 11. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-seventh session, under the item entitled “Environment and sustainable development”, the sub-item _______________ 9 A/56/170. 3