Information

1. Establishes a Global Taxonomy Initiative coordination mechanism to assist the Executive Secretary to facilitate international cooperation and coordinate activities under the Global Taxonomy Initiative in accordance with the terms of reference contained in the annex to this decision;

2. Urges Parties, Governments and relevant organizations to undertake the following priority activities to further the Global Taxonomy Initiative:

(a) The identification of national and regional priority taxonomic information requirements; (b) 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; (c) Establishment or consolidation of regional and national taxonomic reference centres; (d) The building of taxonomic capacity, in particular in developing countries, including through partnerships between national, regional and international taxonomic reference centres, and through information networks; (e) Communication to the Executive Secretary and Global Taxonomy Initiative coordination mechanism, by 31 December 2001, of suitable programmes, projects and initiatives for consideration as pilot projects under the Global Taxonomy Initiative;

3. Requests that the Executive Secretary, with the assistance of the Global Taxonomy Initiative coordination mechanism: (a) 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; (b) Initiate short-term activities, including regional meetings of scientists, managers and policy makers to prioritize the most urgent global taxonomic needs and facilitate the formulation of specific regional and national projects to meet the needs identified, and to report thereon to the Conference of the Parties at its sixth meeting; (c) 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 Advice on the Global Taxonomy Initiative, as advice for the proposed regional meetings; (d) Use the Global Taxonomy Initiative as a forum to promote the importance of taxonomy and taxonomic tools in the implementation of the Convention;

4. Requests all Parties and Governments to designate a national Global Taxonomy Initiative focal point by 31 December 2000, linked to other national focal points, and participate in the development of regional networks to facilitate information-sharing for the Global Taxonomy Initiative;

5. Invites all interested international and regional conventions, initiatives and programmes to indicate their support for the Global Taxonomy Initiative and its coordination mechanism, through the Executive Secretary, and in so doing to specify their particular areas of interest and any support for the implementation of the Global Taxonomy Initiative that could be forthcoming;

6. Urges eligible Parties and consortia of eligible Parties to seek resources for the above priority actions through the financial mechanism, and requests the financial mechanism to continue promoting awareness of the Global Taxonomy Initiative in its outreach activities, such as the Capacity Development Initiative and the Country Dialogue Workshops, and to investigate ways both within and outside its operational programme structure to facilitate capacity-building in taxonomy, and the implementation of the short-term activities referred to in the annex to the present decision.