As a means to mark the International Year of Biodiversity, the United Nations General Assembly decided to hold a high-level event on biodiversity on 22 September 2010, the eve of the opening of the general debate of its sixty-fifth session.

The high-level event will provide a unique opportunity to raise awareness on the global biodiversity crisis and the urgent need for stronger action to implement the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in order to achieve the Convention's objectives.

The meeting will provide an occasion for world leaders to provide political impetus and support for a sustained global response to the world's biodiversity challenges, and the need to address each of the three objectives of the Convention.

During the high-level event, dialogue will be held on issues of strategic importance to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Roundtable discussions will be held on post-2010 biodiversity targets; the links between climate change and biodiversity; and the importance of biodiversity to poverty alleviation and development and to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

The 2010 biodiversity target to significantly reduce the rate of biodiversity loss was adopted by the General Assembly as a target of Millennium Development Goal 7, "to ensure environmental sustainability." The 2010 target was adopted by Parties to the Convention in 2002, and actions to achieve it were incorporated in the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development. This year, the theme of the United Nations observance of the International Day for Biological Diversity, commemorated annually on 22 May, is Biodiversity, Development and Poverty Alleviation.

Speaking at the General Assembly after the adoption of this decision, the Executive Secretary of the Convention, Ahmed Djoghlaf, paid tribute to Member States for undertaking such a historic venture: "This will be the first time that the General Assembly has organized a high-level event with participation of Heads of State and Government to contribute to the observance of a United Nations International Year, serving to raise awareness on biodiversity and galvanize political momentum at the highest political level."