The Coordination Mechanism was established by the Conference of the Parties (COP) in decision V/9 to assist the Executive Secretary to facilitate international cooperation and to coordinate activities on matters pertaining to the implementation and development of the Global Taxonomy Initiative. Its Terms of Reference are annexed to the decision. In addition to providing general advice related to development and implementation of the GTI, the COP has identified several specific issues on which the Coordination Mechanism should provide support to the Executive Secretary.

Membership in the Coordination Mechanism comprises 10 people (two representatives per region on a rotational basis) plus a limited number of leading relevant organizations. Current membership after COP-8 is listed in Notification 2006-059 issued by the Executive Secretary.

The Coordination Mechanism has met formally a number of times, as well as informally on the margins of major meetings of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Some reports of meetings of the Coordination Mechanism are available as follows:

• Report of the First Meeting of the GTI Coordination Mechanism, 23 November 2000
• Report of the Second Meeting of the GTI Coordination Mechanism, 10 November 2003
• Report of the Third Meeting of the GTI Coordination Mechanism, 8 February 2004
• Report of the Fourth Meeting of the GTI Coordination Mechanism, 1 May 2004
• Report of the Fifth Meeting of the GTI Coordination Mechanism, 8 October 2004
• Report of the Sixth Meeting of the GTI Coordination Mechanism, 11 February 2005
• Report of the Seventh Meeting of the GTI Coordination Mechanism, 20 November 2006
• Report of the eighth meeting of the GTI Coordination Mechanism, 31 May 2008
• Report of the ninth meeting of the GTI Coordination Mechanism, 16 May 2010
• Report of the tenth meeting of the GTI Coordination Mechanism, 24 October 2010
• Report of the eleventh meeting of the GTI Coordination Mechanism, 3 - 4 June 2011
• Report of the twelfth meeting of the GTI Coordination Mechanism, 5 - 6 November 2011