Accordingly, the United Nations Conference on Human Environment held in Stockholm in June 1992 identified as a priority the need for the conservation of biological diversity. The Action Plan on Programme Development and Priorities adopted in 1973 at the first session of UNEP's Governing Council (GC), identified the "conservation of nature, wildlife and genetic resources" as a priority area. Since then, the conservation of biological diversity constitutes one of the main activities undertaken by UNEP