Seated (left to right): Joe Miller, GBIF Executive Secretary with Francisco Lopez (International Treaty Technical Officer) Standing (left to right): Dag Endresen (GBIF Node Manager, Norway) with Adriana Alercia (International Treaty Consultant)

11/05/2023

International Treaty & Global Biodiversity Information Facility Sign Letter of Intent

11 May 2023, Rome, Italy – The Executive Director of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)^[1], Mr Joe Miller, and the Secretary of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, MrKent Nnadozie, signed a Letter of Intent to promote the use of internationally agreed data standards and procedures for documentation on plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA). The signing of this document took place on the margins of the Fifth Meeting of the Scientific Advisory Committee on the Global Information System (SAC-GLIS), which met at FAO HQ in Rome on 8 and 9 May 2023.

“Having internationally recognized standards for PGRFA data is necessary for the efficient exchange and use of the important information on PGRFA data,” said Secretary Nnadozie. “Perhaps equally important is that all those involved in PGRFA documentation are aware of these global standards and are using them, so that we can ensure consistent application of terminology,” he added.

The Letter of Intent declares the intention of both Secretariats to promote the use of internationally agreed data standards and procedures for PGRFA documentation, including through the improved documentation of Crop Wild Relatives conserved in situ, and to facilitate collaboration between the National Focal Points of the International Treaty and the GBIF National Nodes.

The fifth meeting of the SAC-GLIS was held in a hybrid format (in-person and on-line) for the first time, and included 40 experts and observers from all regions. The Committee reiterated the importance of collaborations and partnerships for the effective implementation and coherent development of GLIS, and advised the Secretary of the International Treaty to continue enhancing collaborations. They also emphasized the need to continue providing support to Contracting Parties for documenting PGRFA, making the information available online and promoting the use of genebank curation tools.

The Committee elected Theo van Hintum of the Netherlands, and Dickson Ng’uni of Zambia as Co-Chairpersons. The Committee noted the progress made with the promotion and use of Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs), with more than 1.4 million DOIs assigned so far. They welcomed the integration of the Toolbox for Sustainable Use of PGRFA into the GLIS Portal, resulting in 1 600 new records in the directory of links. They also noted the development of a module in the GLIS Portal for the documentation of PGRFA conserved in situ, based on the content of the crop wild relatives descriptors, and invited the Secretary to publish and promote it, and to provide training and capacity development, subject to the availability of financial resources.

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