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COP 9 Decision IX/22

IX/22.The Global Taxonomy Initiative: matters arising from decision VIII/3, including the development of outcome-oriented deliverables

The Conference of the Parties,
Recognizing that activities under the Global Taxonomy Initiative should not be contrary to national legislation of the country of origin,
1.Welcomes the progress made in the development of widely accessible national and global checklists of known species which state their valid scientific names including synonyms based on the best systematic revisions available as a step towards a global register of plants, animals, microorganisms and other organisms, and encourages all the organizations involved to continue developing and disseminating tools and techniques, gathering data, collecting and maintaining reference specimens, and building the related capacities so as to complete the work ideally by 2010 for plants, also in line with target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation and by 2012 for all other organisms with the addition of new names to continue beyond these dates;
2.Also welcomes progress toward the establishment of a possible special fund for the GTI, and encourages BioNET-INTERNATIONAL and the Interim Steering Committee of the GTI Special Fund to continue seeking suitable funding sources so as to operationalize the Fund prior to 2010 taking into account the objectives of capacity-building, promotion of technology transfer and contributing to an accelerated accumulation of knowledge on species diversity in countries including those with high levels of biodiversity, through, inter alia, species inventories in areas designated as a priority by respective national Governments, and establish, as soon as possible, a trust fund through a steering committee reflecting regional balance, and report on progress to the Conference of the Parties at its tenth meeting;
3.Acknowledges the role and importance of natural history collections and taxonomic institutions for fulfilling the goals of the Convention and takes note of the discussion of the Buffon Declaration at the international symposium held in Paris on 18-19 October 2007 (UNEP/CBD/COP/9/20/Add.2, annex I);
4.Noting that taxonomic capacity-building activities could go beyond 2010,
(a)Endorses the outcome-oriented deliverables contained in the annex to the present decision as relevant outputs of the programme of work on the Global Taxonomy Initiative;
(b)Urges Parties, and invites other Governments and relevant organizations to carry out the activities planned in the programme of work so as to produce the expected outputs in a timely manner and provide information as appropriate in local languages including locally used names of species;
(c)Requests the Executive Secretary to report on progress in these matters to the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties and to a meeting of the Subsidiary Body of Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice prior to the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties;
5.Emphasizes the need for capacity-building activities and mobilizing funds for them, including training in taxonomy, especially in developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and the small island developing States among them, and countries with economies in transition, in order to enable them to implement the planned activities to achieve and monitor progress towards the expected outputs;
6.Invites Parties, other Governments, international and funding organizations and other donors to provide adequate support for the development of a widely accessible checklist of known species stating the valid scientific names and their synonyms, and timely support to developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States among them, and countries with economies in transition, as well as countries with high levels of biodiversity, as appropriate, for the implementation of the planned activities contained in the annex to the present decision, including related human, systemic and institutional capacity-building;
7.Requests the Executive Secretary to develop planned activities on island biodiversity and protected areas in consultation with the Coordination Mechanism of the Global Taxonomy Initiative to fully develop the programme of work of the Initiative, building on the activities identified in decision VIII/3;
8.Requests the Executive Secretary to include mobilization of resources for implementation of activities included in the programme of work on the Global Taxonomy Initiative as an item for discussion at possible future donor meetings that may be held as appropriate, on the margins of the meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice and those of other subsidiary bodies prior to the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

Annex

OUTCOME-ORIENTED DELIVERABLES FOR EACH OF THE PLANNED ACTIVITIES OF THE PROGRAMME OF WORK OF THE GLOBAL TAXONOMY INITIATIVE

The successful implementation of the following outcome-oriented deliverables may be achieved by contributions from Parties, other Governments, and international organizations. Suggested actors for individual activities and outputs were proposed through the GTI Coordination Mechanism. Other relevant organizations are also invited to contribute as potential actors.

Operational objective 1: Assess taxonomic needs and capacities at national, regional and global levels for the implementation of the Convention

Planned activity 1: Country-based taxonomic needs assessments and identification of priorities

Output 1.1.1. Develop an Assessment Support Pack to be made available through the GTI Portal by the end of 2009, building on the assessments done on the BioNET-INTERNATIONAL Web site. Suggested actors may include Parties, BioNET-INTERNATIONAL; the Coordination Mechanism of the Global Taxonomy Initiative, and other compilers of taxonomic needs assessments.
Output 1.1.2. A taxonomic needs assessment in at least one sector to have been completed by 10% of Parties by 2010, and by 25% of all Parties by 2012. Suggested actors may include Parties with assistance from taxonomic institutions and networks and GTI national focal points.

Planned activity 2: Regional taxonomic needs assessments and identification of priorities

Output 1.2.1. Complete at least one pilot regional assessment within a United Nations subregion, integrated with implementation of a thematic area or cross-cutting issue of the CBD, by the end of 2009. Results and lessons learned can be placed before the fourteenth meeting of the SBSTTA and disseminated by the Clearing-House Mechanism. Suggested actors may include BioNET-INTERNATIONAL, CBOL, Species 2000 and ITIS Catalog of Life.

Planned activity 3: Global taxonomic needs assessments.

Output 1.3.1. Complete global taxonomic needs assessments for at least two thematic areas or cross-cutting issues of the CBD by the end of 2009. Suggested actors may include BioNET-INTERNATIONAL, CABI, GBIF, IUCN and International Agriculture Research Centers (IARCs).

Planned activity 4: Public awareness and education

Output 1.4.1. Compile and disseminate a resource pack including background information and ideas for publicity to targeted groups by the end of 2009. Suggested actors may include the Coordination Mechanism of the Global Taxonomy Initiative, the Global Initiative on Communication, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA), the clearing-house mechanism of the Convention.
Output 1.4.2. Run at least one exhibition, at a national taxonomic institution, on the importance of taxonomy with mention of the Global Taxonomy Initiative by 2010, both physically and with a Web presence. Suggested actors may include Parties, relevant bodies participating in the Global Initiative on Communication, Education and Public Awareness, National Museums and Herbaria Consortium of Scientific Partners.
Output 1.4.3. Provide country Web pages with species lists and identification materials for the national fauna and flora by 2015 (derived from the available information in the literature as baseline information for further research). Suggested actors may include Parties, GBIF and partners, Species 2000 and ITIS Catalog of Life.

Operational objective 2: Provide focus to help build and maintain the human resources, systems and infrastructure needed to obtain, collate, and curate the biological specimens that are the basis for taxonomic knowledge

Planned activity 5: Global and regional capacity-building to support access to and generation of taxonomic information

Output 2.5.1. Create an online registry of repositories of biological collections that provides globally unique identifiers for these collections, and initiate an analysis of countries and regions that lack essential collection infrastructure by 2012. Suggested actors may include FAO, CBOL, GBIF, CETAF, NSCA, MOSAIC, Species 2000 and ITIS Catalog of Life.
Output 2.5.2. All Parties to develop national and regional priorities and action plans for taxonomic capacity-building by 2012, based on national and regional taxonomic needs assessments. Suggested actors may include FAO, national Governments, with assistance from taxonomic institutions and networks and GTI National Focal Points and the GTI Coordination Mechanism.
Output 2.5.3. Increase long-term positions for taxonomists with the goal to establish adequate taxonomic expertise for all major organism groups in all regions, and to double the taxonomic workforce by 2020. Suggested actors may include all Parties and Countries, FAO.
Output 2.5.4. Formulate and promote international standards for maintaining and curating biological specimens/cultured organisms as resource for taxonomic studies by 2012. Suggested actors may include FAO, Taxonomic institutions, clearing-house mechanism of the Convention, Global Science Forum (GSF) of the OECD, BioNET-INTERNATONAL, CGIAR, WFCC, European Culture Collection Organisation (ECCO).
Output 2.5.5. Develop and maintain taxonomic collections as basic knowledge infrastructure for CBD implementation with the goal of each Party by 2020 to maintain or have access to at least one institutional centre of taxonomic excellence at national or, where appropriate, at regional level. Suggested actors may include FAO, national Governments, taxonomic institutions and networks, GSF, CGIAR, European Distributed Institute of Taxonomy (EDIT), BioNET-INTERNATIONAL, WFCC, European Culture Collection Organization (ECCO).
Output 2.5.6. Identify national biological reference collections for all Parties by 2010. Suggested actors may include all Parties and countries, FAO.

Planned activity 6: Strengthening of existing networks for regional cooperation in taxonomy

Output 2.6.1. Include all taxonomic institutions in appropriate networks to assess and build capacity by 2012. Suggested actors may include BioNET-INTERNATIONAL, other taxonomic networks, national taxonomic institutions, GSF, CGIAR, WFCC, European Culture Collection Organization (ECCO).
Output 2.6.2. Strengthen taxonomic technical cooperation networks in ten United Nations subregions through the publication of a best-practice handbook by end 2009. Suggested actors may include BioNET-INTERNATIONAL.
Output 2.6.3. Identify regional hubs for DNA bar-coding taking into account other relevant initiatives and incorporate them into the Leading Labs Network of the Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL) as appropriate in accordance with the national legislation by 2010. Suggested actors may include national Governments, CBOL.

Operational objective 3: Facilitate an improved and effective infrastructure/system for access to taxonomic information; with priority on ensuring countries of origin gain access to information concerning elements of their biodiversity

Planned activity 7: Develop a coordinated taxonomy information system

Output 3.7.2. Develop an internationally-accepted standard for collections-level descriptions to enable clarity on collections holdings by 2012 before all specimens are included in the database. Suggested actors may include GBIF, TDWG, Genbank/EMBL/DDBJ.
Output 3.7.3. Produce a widely accessible checklist of known species, as a step towards a global register of plants, animals, microorganisms and other organisms, by 2012. Suggested actors may include GBIF, Species 2000 and ITIS Catalog of Life, taxonomic institutions, Encyclopedia of Life (EOL), BioNET-INTERNATIONAL.
Output 3.7.4. Make 1 billion specimen records digitally available by the end of 2008. Suggested actors may include GBIF, collection-holding institutions.
Output 3.7.5. Increase the means and rate of digitisation of taxonomic literature, incorporating simple and effective interfaces for location and access to biological content; interoperable with major biological projects; and structured in accordance with appropriate data standards. Milestones from the Biodiversity Heritage Library Programme are: 6,000,000 pages available by end of 2008; 15,000,000 pages available by end of 2009; and 25,000,000 pages available by end of 2010. Suggested actors may include: Biodiversity Heritage Library, libraries of major taxonomic institutions, AnimalBase, BiodivHeritage, the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), Society for General Microbiology (IJSEM Online Issues), as well as other open-access platforms.
Output 3.7.6. Develop at least five Web-based taxonomic treatments covering large taxonomic groups, ecosystems or regions to be completed by 2010 in order to enable comparison of their utility. Suggested actors may include , the Creating a Taxonomy e-science Project (CATE), European Distributed Institute of Taxonomy (EDIT), the INtegrated Open TAXonomic Access (INOTAXA), Plozi.org.
Output 3.7.7. Develop a prototype for an openly accessible Global Species Information System (GSIS) as requested by the Potsdam Initiative 2010 by 2010, and a comprehensive GSIS version with information on all species by 2020. Suggested actors may include Encyclopedia of Life (EOL), Fishbase, TDWG, GBIF, BioNET-INTERNATIONAL, Species 2000 and ITIS Catalog of Life.
Output 3.7.8. Develop a system of species Web pages, with community involvement, and a programme for their growth and sustainability by 2010. Suggested actors may include Encyclopedia of Life (EOL), FishBase, BioNET-INTERNATIONAL, Species 2000 and ITIS Catalog of Life
Output 3.7.9. Sustainably populate one or more systems with links and references to extant keys, guides and other identification tools, to cover all regions, by 2012. Suggested actors may include EOL, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), BioNET-INTERNATIONAL, Species 2000 and ITIS Catalog of Life.

Operational objective 4: Within the major thematic work programmes of the Convention include key taxonomic objectives to generate information needed for decision-making in conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and its components

Planned activity 8: Forest biological diversity

Output 4.8.1: Establish an inventory of species with economic and ecological values for forest biological diversity, their conservation status, ecology, and distribution, including potential indicators of below-ground biodiversity, and appropriate sampling systems, by 2015. Suggested actors may include national Governments, forest departments, taxonomic institutions, GBIF, the Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Programme of the CGIAR;
Output 4.8.2. Create a mechanism to address data on forest extent and specimen data accessible through TDWG standards, to facilitate inventory work, by 2010. Suggested actors may include GBIF, TDWG, Species 2000 and ITIS Catalog of Life, UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC).

Planned activity 9: Marine and coastal biological diversity

Output 4.9.1. Create a centre for exchange of information on taxonomic guides and other identification tools for invertebrates of mangroves by 2010, populated with all available information. Suggested actors may include FAO, EOL, taxonomists, Census of Marine Life, OBIS, Species 2000 and ITIS Catalog of Life, the clearing-house mechanism.
Output 4.9.2. Produce a guide to the major groups of marine algae by 2012. Suggested actors may include FAO, taxonomic institutions, OBIS.

Planned activity 10: Dry and sub-humid lands biodiversity

Output 4.10.1: Establish an inventory of species with economic and ecological values for dry and sub-humid lands biodiversity, their conservation status, ecology, and distribution, including potential indicators of below-ground biodiversity, and appropriate sampling systems, by 2015. Suggested actors may include national Governments, taxonomic institutions, GBIF;
Output 4.10.2. Produce and trial one identification toolkit for one dryland habitat, including lichens and other crustal biota, by 2012. Suggested actors may include IPCC.

Planned activity 11: Inland waters biological diversity

Output 4.11.1. Create a centre for the exchange of information on taxonomic guides and other identification tools for freshwater fish by 2010, populated with all available information. Suggested actors may include FAO, EOL, taxonomists, the clearing-house mechanism.
Output 4.11.2. Generate a gap analysis on a global basis of identification guides to freshwater fish by 2010. Suggested actors may include FAO, EOL, taxonomists, the clearing-house mechanism.

Planned activity 12: Agricultural biological diversity

Output 4.12.1. Create a centre for exchange of information on taxonomic guides and other identification tools for pollinators by 2010, populated with all available information. Suggested actors may include FAO, EOL, GBIF, Species 2000 and ITIS Catalog of Life, CBOL, BioNET-INTERNATIONAL, taxonomists, clearing-house mechanism.
Output 4.12.2. Produce keys to all genera of bees of the world by 2012. Suggested actors may include FAO, taxonomic institutions.
Output 4.12.3. Develop and begin testing DNA barcodes by 2010 as an identification system for pilot taxa (e.g. tephritid fruit flies or scale insects) in the view of agricultural border inspection. Suggested actors may include national Governments, CBOL, BioNET-INTERNATIONAL, taxonomists.

Planned activity 13: Mountain biological diversity

Output 4.13.1. Create working lists of organisms known to be occurring in mountain areas by 2012. Suggested actors may include GBIF, GMBA.
Output 4.13.2. Using specimen occurrence data, identify risks from climate change for existing protected areas in mountain regions and provide information to reduce impact of climate change on small protected areas by 2010. Suggested actors may include GBIF, ecological institutions, CONABIO.
Output 4.13.3: Identify 6-10 priority areas to better research Mountain Biodiversity on each continent by 2010. Suggested actors may include national governments, ecological institutions.

Planned activity 14. Island biological diversity

Output 4.14.1. Provide taxonomic input as needed to the goals and targets as defined in the programme of work on island biodiversity (VIII/1, annex), specifically to goals 1-4, 6, 8, and 10 to be achieved by 2010. Suggested actors may include national governments, taxonomic institutions, and specialized agencies.
Output 4.14.2: In cooperation with the GTI Coordination Mechanism, develop projects for assessment and monitoring of indicator species for island biodiversity, prioritizing projects on impacts of climate change and invasive alien species by 2012. Suggested actors may include PACINET, BioNET-INTERNATIONAL.

Operational objective 5: Within the programme of work on cross cutting issues of the Convention include key taxonomic objectives to generate information needed for decision-making in conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and its components

Planned activity 15: Access and benefit-sharing

Output 5.15.1. Provide guidelines on benefits of taxonomy in the context of access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing, and outline requirements for applicable international obligations relating to prior informed consent and material transfer agreement for taxonomic institutions by the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties. Suggested actors may include national Governments, the Convention, taxonomic institutions.
Output 5.15.2. Convene an international workshop of competent national authorities and national focal points for GTI and access and benefit-sharing to discuss the obstacles to international transfer of biomaterials for non-commercial research in line with national law and applicable international obligations relating to prior informed consent by the time not later than the SBSTTA prior to COP10. Suggested actors may include national Governments, the Secretariat, EDIT, CETAF, NSCA, taxonomic institutions, CBOL, BioNET-INTERNATIONAL, Species 2000 and ITIS Catalog of Life.
Output 5.15.3. Information be made easily and clearly accessible on relevant national legislation and means to obtain permits for collecting, transborder movement, research and other issues of significance to work on specimens in the context of the Global Taxonomy Initiative by 2010. Suggested actors may include Parties, through CBD focal points and national competent authorities, clearing-house mechanism.

Planned activity 16: Invasive alien species (IAS)

Output 5.16.1: Provide IAS lists/information for all countries by 2010. Suggested actors may include GBIF, IUCN-ISSG, BioNET-INTERNATIONAL, GISIN, Species 2000 and ITIS Catalog of Life.
Output 5.16.2: Provide relevant taxonomic information (ID tools, including keys and DNA-barcodes) for customs and quarantine services on invasive alien species at national and regional levels, by 2012. Suggested actors may include national Governments, BioNET INTERNATIONAL, Global Invasive Species Programme, IUCN-SSG, CABI.
Output 5.16.3: Identify species with high potential to become IAS and prepare customs/quarantine information by 2012, as described in the annex of VIII/3 as additional planned activities. Suggested actors may include Global Invasive Species Programme (GISP), GISIN, Fishbase, GBIF, Species 2000 and ITIS Catalog of Life ,BioNET-INTERNATIONAL.
Output 5.16.4. Complete the online information system for actual and potential invasive species for each continent and assess threats by future potential invasive species by 2010. Suggested actors may include Global Invasive Species Programme (GISP), GISIN, Species 2000 and ITIS Catalog of Life, Global Invasive Species Database, IUCN Shark Specialist Group (SSG).
Output 5.16.8. Correlate and manage updated taxonomy for all known invasive species, following the call in the Global Invasive Species Programme (GISP) Global Strategy by 2010. Suggested actors may include Global Invasive Species Programme (GISP), BioNET INTERNATIONAL, CABI, GBIF, Species 2000 and ITIS Catalog of Life.
Output 5.16.9. Develop protocols (including precision and rapidity) for IAS identifications, preferably building on relevant standards under the International Plant Protection Convention already in place and being developed. Protocols should be agreed by 2010. Suggested actors may include IPPC, SCBD, BioNET INTERNATIONAL, Species 2000 and ITIS Catalog of Life.
Output 5.16.10. Produce and disseminate working identification keys for known IAS associated with at least one key invasion pathways by 2010. Suggested actors may include IPPC, BioNET-INTERNATIONAL.

Planned activity 17: Support implementation of Article 8(j)

Output 5.17.1. Working with indigenous communities, identify indigenous taxonomic knowledge to be incorporated under the Global Names Architecture by 2020 in line with national law and applicable international obligations relating to prior informed consent. Suggested actors may include GBIF.

Planned activity 18. Support for the ecosystem approach and work under the Convention on assessment, including impact assessments, monitoring and indicators

Output 5.18.1. Establish tools to use geo-referenced digitized specimen and observational data in, for example, distribution maps and Ecological Niche Models, and make available to users in the context of assessments by 2012. Suggested actors may include GBIF.

Planned activity 19: Protected areas

Output 5.19.1. Provide inventories for each protected area for at least mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and butterflies by 2010 (decision VIII/24, paragraphs 44 (a) and 44 (c)). Suggested actors may include Parties and Governments.
Output 5.19.2. Automate the development of lists of the IUCN-The World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red List taxa for all Protected Areas with Categories Ia, Ib, and II by 2010, and for all Protected Areas by 2016. Suggested actors may include IUCN, GBIF.
Output 5.19.3. Create a pilot project to demonstrate identification of habitats and priority-setting for establishing new protected areas, through plotting distributions of species at local, national and regional levels to be identified and disseminated through the clearing-house mechanism by 2009. Suggested actors may include Parties, taxonomic/ecological institutions.
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