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1. Reaffirms that the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and its components should be addressed in a holistic manner, taking into account the three levels of biological diversity and fully considering socio-economic and cultural factors. However, the ecosystem approach should be the primary framework of action to be taken under the Convention;

2. Endorses paragraphs 2, 4 and 5 of recommendation I/3 on preliminary consideration of components of biological diversity that are particularly under threat and the action that could be taken under the Convention, adopted by the first meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, held in Paris, at the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, from 4 to 8 September 1995;

3. Stresses that, as reflected in paragraph 3 of recommendation I/3, it is essential to identify the driving forces determining the status and trends of components of biological diversity, so that appropriate action can be taken to control them;

4. Stresses also the importance of making full use of existing knowledge and available expertise;

5. Emphasizes the need for capacity-building as well as adequate financial resources for the implementation of the tasks identified in this decision;

6.(i) Encourages Parties, as part of their first national report which will focus particularly on Article 6, to identify priority issues specifically related to those components of biological diversity under threat, based upon paragraphs 1, 2, 4 and 5 of recommendation I/3 of the report of the first meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice to the second meeting of the Conference of the Parties;

(ii) Requests the Executive Secretary to prepare a paper which identifies issues of common concern in the context of examining the national reports;

(iii) Directs the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice to consider the findings of the Executive Secretary's paper and to identify possible options for actions to be considered by the Conference of the Parties;

7. Further requests the Subsidiary Body at its second meeting to address the issue of the lack of taxonomists, who would be needed for the national implementation of the Convention, and to advise the Conference of the Parties at its third meeting on ways and means to overcome this problem, taking into account existing studies and ongoing initiatives while adopting a more practical direction of taxonomy linked to bio-prospecting and ecological research on conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and its components.