3GTW
the 3rd Global Taxonomy Workshop
Pretoria 2002
Paris 2003

Some potential key roles for the BioNET-INTERNATIONAL Technical Secretariat

BioNET’s future
While the BioNET LOOPs are permanent, government-owned mechansism to support capacity building in taxonomy, BioNET’s Technical Secretariat does not have a mandate beyond helping to establish the LOOPs. With most LOOPs either established or in the process of being established, BioNET is asking its collaborative partners what, if any, future roles they envisage for the Technical Secretariat. Participants at the Paris meeting identified the following roles; if you have comments or suggestions please contact us (bionet@bionet-intl.org):

1. Encourage participation by taxonomists in the policy process, especially at national level.

2. Conduct/facilitate regional/global end-user ‘needs’ assessments.

3. Raise awareness of GEF and support integration of taxonomic components into GEF-sponsored activities.

4. Broaden scope of BioNET LOOPs, for example into marine issues such as monitoring of coral reef bleaching.

5. Facilitate/encourage debate on thematic areas related to taxonomy under CBD e.g. access to specimens, access and benefit sharing and Intellectual Property Rights.

6. Use NGO role to widen awareness raising and lobbying of governments at international fora.

7. Use NGO role to provide a link for interaction between organisations constrained by governmental and intergovernmental processes.

8. Play a 'honest broker' role in areas where 'end-users' need products taxonomists don't usually provide, e.g. real-time tool to alert quarantine, CITES, etc. of taxonomic name changes and revisions.

9. Compile case studies on societal impacts of taxonomy.

10. Help compile and distribute a database of training courses relevant to taxonomists wanting to build skills in proposal writing, advocacy etc.

11. Facilitate interaction between the taxonomic community and funders.