The UN General Assembly established the International Day for Biological Diversity in 1993, marking the entry into force of the Convention on Biological Diversity on 29 December that year. In 2000, the Assembly moved the observance to 22 May to commemorate the adoption of the Convention's text at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, partly to avoid clustering with the many other observances at year's end. The day promotes understanding of biodiversity — the variety of living organisms, ecosystems, and genes on Earth — and its critical importance for climate stability, food production, clean water supplies, and overall ecological balance. Biodiversity faces mounting threats from habitat loss, pollution, resource overexploitation, and climate change. Environmental organizations and governments worldwide mark the day with awareness campaigns built around a different theme each year, alongside initiatives to restore natural habitats and protect endangered species, and discussions on integrating biodiversity protection into national economic and development policy.