ANNEX A

[on the report of the Second Committee (A/73/544)]

73/252. International Year of Plant Health, 2020

The General Assembly,

Reaffirming its resolution 70/1 of 25 September 2015, entitled “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, in which it adopted a comprehensive, far-reaching and people-centred set of universal and transformative Sustainable Development Goals and targets, its commitment to working tirelessly for the full implementation of the Agenda by 2030, its recognition that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development, its commitment to achieving sustainable development in its three dimensions — economic, social and environmental — in a balanced and integrated manner, and to building upon the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals and seeking to address their unfinished business,

Reaffirming also its resolutions 53/199 of 15 December 1998 and 61/185 of 20 December 2006 on the proclamation of international years, and Economic and Social Council resolution 1980/67 of 25 July 1980 on international years and anniversaries, in particular paragraphs 1 to 10 of the annex thereto on the agreed criteria for the proclamation of international years, as well as paragraphs 13 and 14, in which it is stated that an international day or year should not be proclaimed before the basic arrangements for its organization and financing have been made,

Noting that healthy plants constitute the foundation for all life on Earth, as well as ecosystem functions and food security, and are key to sustaining life on Earth,

Recognizing that plant health is key to the sustainable development of agriculture to feed the growing global population by 2050,

Recognizing also that sustaining plant health protects the environment, forests and biodiversity from plant pests, addresses the effects of climate change, and supports efforts to end hunger, malnutrition and poverty and boosts economic development, and that the protection of plant health from pests is a key factor in strategies to eliminate hunger and rural poverty,

Stressing the urgent need to raise awareness of and to promote and facilitate actions towards the management of plant health in order to contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda,

Trusting that the celebration of an international year would encourage actions to promote and implement activities in favour of preserving and sustaining global plant resources and raise awareness of the importance of plant health in addressing issues of global concern, including hunger, poverty and threats to the environment,

Recalling resolution 5/2017 adopted on 7 July 2017 by the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations at its fortieth session, held in Rome from 3 to 8 July 2017,

1. Decides to declare 2020 the International Year of Plant Health;

2. Invites all Member States, organizations of the United Nations system, other international and regional organizations and civil society, including non-governmental organizations, individuals and other relevant stakeholders, to observe the International Year, as appropriate, through activities aimed at raising awareness of the importance of plant health and the economic, social and environmental impact of plant health on food security and ecosystem functions, and to share best practices in this regard;

3. Invites the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, in collaboration with the International Plant Protection Convention, mindful of the provisions contained in the annex to Economic and Social Council resolution 1980/67, to facilitate the implementation of the International Year;

4. Stresses that the cost of all activities that may arise from the implementation of the present resolution should be met from voluntary contributions;

5. Invites all relevant stakeholders to contribute to and support the International Year;
Requests the Secretary-General to bring the present resolution to the attention of all Member States, the organizations of the United Nations system and civil society organizations for appropriate observance.

62nd plenary meeting
20 December 2018