The main function of the ITPS is to provide scientific and technical advice and guidance to the GSP on global soil issues in the first instance and in relation to specific requests submitted by global or regional institutions.

The ITPS is composed of twenty-seven recognized soil experts. Its membership should ensure proper regional balance, optimal coverage of the range of scientific and practical areas of expertise required by the wide GSP mandate, as well as gender balance.

The ITPS has the following regional distribution of experts:  

• Five from Africa
• Five from Asia
• Five from Europe
• Five from Latin America and the Caribbean
• Three from Near East
• Two from North America
• Two from South West Pacific.

Members of the ITPS should act in their personal capacity and provide neutral advice to the GSP and GSP Partners on matters relating to their recognized field of expertise. Potential candidates will be assessed against the following qualifications and criteria: 

• a recognized academic profile  (postgraduate level);
• experience at international and national level in  different soil-related activities, ranging from research to  development;
• expertise in key topics, especially: sustainable soil management, soil organic carbon, soil pollution, soil fertility, provision of ecosystem services by soils, soil biodiversity, soil restoration, soil mapping and information systems, economics of soils.
• record of  sound publications subjected to peer reviews;
• position that would not preclude  the provision of  advice independently from their employment status and nationality.

Nominations should be sent by GSP Partners to [email protected] on or before 30 March 2018. They should include the name of the candidate, contact address, the candidate’s CV with a list of peer-reviewed publications and other relevant publications, and a letter of recommendation from the nominating partner.

The GSP Secretariat will screen the received nominations and consolidate a final list of candidates on the basis of the above criteria, which will be submitted to FAO Members by 16 April 2018. Members will then examine them according to their procedures bearing in mind regional distribution and gender balance, and will submit to the GSP Secretariat the list of selected regional experts by 7 May 2018.

Once selected, the experts will be appointed by the Sixth GSP Plenary Assembly (11-13 June 2018) to serve for a three-year term as members of the ITPS.