. Review of the Global Taxonomy Initiative

Review of the Global Taxonomy Initiative

The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice

1. Recommends that the Conference of the Parties at its fifth meeting:

(a) Establishes a Global Taxonomy Initiative coordination mechanism to assist the Executive Secretary to facilitate international cooperation and coordinate activities under the Global Taxonomy Initiative. The coordination mechanism should include representatives from key taxonomic institutions (regionally balanced) and initiatives, the International Council of Scientific Unions, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The Global Taxonomy Initiative coordination mechanism should work closely with the clearing-house mechanism;

(b) Urges Parties, Governments and relevant organizations to undertake the following priority activities to further the Global Taxonomy Initiative:

(i) The identification of national and regional priority taxonomic information requirements;

(ii) Assessments of national taxonomic capacity to identify and, where possible, quantify national and regional-level taxonomic impediments and needs, including the identification of taxonomic tools, facilities and services required at all levels, and mechanisms to establish, support and maintain such tools, facilities and services;

(iii) Establishment or consolidation of regional and national taxonomic reference centres;

(iv) The building of taxonomic capacity in particular in developing countries, including through partnerships between national, regional and international taxonomic reference centres;

(v) Communicate to the Executive Secretary and Global Taxonomy Initiative coordination mechanism suitable programmes, projects and initiatives for consideration as pilot projects under the Global Taxonomy Initiative;

(c) Requests that the Executive Secretary, with the assistance of the Global Taxonomy Initiative coordination mechanism:

(i) Draft as a component of the strategic plan for the Convention on Biological Diversity, a work programme for the Global Taxonomy Initiative defining timetables, goals, products and pilot projects, emphasizing its role in underpinning conservation, sustainable use and equitable sharing of benefits, for consideration by the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice;

(ii) Initiate short-term activities, in particular regional meetings of scientists, managers and policy makers to prioritize the most urgent global taxonomic needs, and facilitate the formulation of specific projects to meet the needs identified, and to report thereon to the Conference of the Parties at its sixth meeting;

(iii) Synthesize the findings of previous meetings of experts on the Global Taxonomy Initiative (as contained in the note by the Executive Secretary on the review of the Global Taxonomy Initiative (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/5/4)), relevant sections of national reports submitted to the Conference of the Parties and recommendations of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological on the Global Taxonomy Initiative, as advice for the proposed regional meetings;

(iv) Use the Global Taxonomy Initiative as a forum to promote the importance of taxonomy and taxonomic tools in the implementation of the Convention;

(d) Requests all Parties and Governments to designate a national Global Taxonomy Initiative focal point, linked to other national focal points, and participate in the development of regional networks to facilitate information-sharing for the Global Taxonomy Initiative;

2. Requests the Executive Secretary to develop terms of reference for the Global Taxonomy Initiative coordination mechanism for submission to the Conference of the Parties at its fifth meeting.