The United Nations had proclaimed the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. When first created by the Second Committee of the UN General Assembly in late 1993, December 29 (the date of entry into force of the Convention of Biological Diversity), was designated as the day of observation. However, in December 2000, the UN General Assembly adopted May 22 as IDB, partly to ease the problem faced by many countries who found it difficult to organise programmes owing to the year-end holidays. As the text of the Convention was adopted on May 22 (1992), it was designated as the International Day for Biological Diversity.