The Governing Council, Recognizing that biodiversity is a key social, environmental, economic, financial, cultural and strategic asset for developing countries and that the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity is critical for sustainable development and poverty eradication, Recalling the outcomes of the High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation held in Nairobi in December 2009, Recalling also resolution 64/1 of 6 October 2009, in which the General Assembly describes South-South cooperation as an important element of international cooperation for development that offers viable opportunities for developing countries in their individual and collective pursuit of sustained economic growth and sustainable development and emphasizes that South-South cooperation is not a substitute for, but is complementary to, North-South cooperation, Recalling further the Nusa Dua Declaration adopted by the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum in February 2010, which acknowledges that biodiversity is at the core of human existence,36 Recalling its decisions 24/12 and 25/9 on South-South cooperation in achieving sustainable development, Highlighting that South-South and triangular cooperation with the support and partnership of developed countries leads to increased ownership of projects by developing countries and facilitates cost-effective and culturally and socially appealing solutions, Reiterating the role of regional and interregional initiatives and of the United Nations as a catalyst and facilitator for South-South cooperation, Recalling decision IX/25 of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, in which developing-country parties are encouraged to engage in South-South cooperation on the issue of biodiversity, complemented and supported by North-South cooperation, and to incorporate biodiversity concerns into regional and subregional cooperation agreements and associated activities and parties are encouraged to establish, as appropriate, multi-stakeholder collaborative partnerships to address biodiversity concerns at the regional, subregional, national and subnational levels, Acknowledging the progress by the Group of 77 and China in preparing a multi-year plan of action for South-South cooperation on biodiversity for development as a complement to the Development Platform for the South launched in June 2008 at the twelfth session of the Intergovernmental Follow-up and Coordination Committee on Economic Cooperation among Developing Countries, held in Yamoussoukro, Recalling decision X/23 of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, in which the Conference of the Parties welcomes the Multi-Year Plan of Action for South-South Cooperation on Biodiversity for Development as adopted by the Group of 77 and China at the South-South Cooperation Forum held on 17 October 201037 and requests the Working Group on Review of Implementation, at its fourth meeting, to examine and further develop the Plan for consideration at the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, taking into account synergies with, among others, the biodiversity technology initiative and framework for capacity-building for the integration of biodiversity into poverty eradication and development being developed under the Convention, 1. Welcomes the report of the Executive Director on South-South cooperation in achieving sustainable development;38 2. Looks forward to the finalization of the Multi-Year Plan of Action for South-South Cooperation on Biodiversity for Development; 3. Welcomes the offer by the Republic of Korea, through its National Institute of Biological Resources, to host an expert meeting in early 2011 to discuss further modalities for South-South and triangular cooperation and a road map towards the possible adoption of a plan at the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity; 4. Encourages member States and other Governments to contribute further to the development of the Multi-Year Plan of Action for South-South Cooperation on Biodiversity for Development; 5. Invites parties, other Governments, regional organizations and their secretariats, international organizations, United Nations bodies, including the United Nations Environment Programme, Biodiversity Liaison Group members, the Rio conventions, donors, indigenous peoples’ organizations, non-governmental organizations and centres of excellence to contribute to the further development of the Multi-Year Plan of Action; 6. Welcomes the consideration by the Global Environment Facility of the establishment of a South-South biodiversity cooperation trust fund for the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020, based on voluntary contributions; 7. Requests the Executive Director to report to the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum at its twenty-seventh session on the contributions of the United Nations Environment Programme to promoting South-South cooperation.