Background

The Global Soil Partnership (GSP) brings together more than 700 partners, representing FAO Members, national soil institutions, research centers, universities, the private sector, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, farmers’ associations, and civil society. GSP Partners play a vital role in delivering the GSP Action Framework 2022–2030.

The Secretariat has, in recent years, organized Partners’ Day alongside the GSP Plenary Assembly, providing space for partners to present their work and engage in focused discussions. Building on this experience, and to further strengthen partners’ engagement at the Plenary Assembly, the GSP Secretariat is launching an open call for partners to share their experiences, achievements, and lessons learned during a dedicated session of the 14th GSP Plenary Assembly.

The objective is to amplify partners’ voices, foster a collaborative dialogue, and enhance visibility of concrete actions carried out by GSP partners that contribute to the implementation of the GSP Action Framework, helping to inform priorities, identify gaps, and guide the future GSP work programme.

Objective

The objective of this call is to select a set of partner-led briefings that: 

• Showcase concrete actions and results
• Ensure balanced representation across regions and stakeholder groups.
• Demonstrate clear linkages with one or more action areas of the GSP Action Framework 2022-2030: 

1. Sustainably manage and restore soils for the provision of ecosystem services.
2. Strengthen soil governance.
3. Promote knowledge and literacy on soils.
4. Promote awareness raising and advocacy on soil health.
5. Assess, map, and monitor soil health in a harmonized way.
6. Foster technical cooperation including among genders and youth.

Format of the briefing session

The selected 15 partners will be invited to deliver a short intervention:

Duration: 8 minutes maximum per intervention

Format: Oral statement or PowerPoint presentation

Modality: Preferably in person, but online intervention is also possible.

Eligibility

This call is exclusively open to GSP Partners. Submissions from non-partner organizations will not be considered.

Selection criteria

Proposals will be reviewed based on the following criteria:

1.       Relevance to the GSP Action Framework

Submissions must clearly demonstrate alignment with one or more Action Areas of the GSP Action Framework, with explicit reference to the relevant area(s), scale of the action(s) and tangible results.

2.       Balanced representation

A balanced representation across regions and stakeholder groups is sought.

Applicants must clearly identify the stakeholder group they represent.

3.       Country representation

In cases where multiple applications are received from the same country, priority will be given to proposals that:

• Adopt an integrated or cross-sectoral approach, and/or
• Address a broader thematic and/or geographic scope.

Timeline

• Call launch: 13 March 2026
• Deadline for submission: 13 April 2026
• Notification of selected applicants: 30 April 2026

Expected outcomes

• Increased visibility and recognition of partner-led actions contributing to the GSP Action Framework, highlighting tangible impacts across regions.
• Stronger exchange of experiences, lessons learned and good practices among partners, fostering open dialogue, collaboration, and mutual learning.
• Enhanced understanding of GSP Partners’ contributions to global soil governance and sustainable soil management, supporting the identification of gaps, emerging needs, and priority areas to inform and guide the future GSP work programme.