the important role they are expected and obliged to play in safeguarding national biodiversity. The Botanical Gardens Law also calls for an action plan to be developed by the Ministry of the Environment, the National Botanic Gardens Network and the Alexander von Humboldt Institute. Such a plan has now been developed. International Initiatives Increasingly botanic gardens are developing partnerships and programmes with organisations and botanic gardens in other countries in order to strengthen and coordinate efforts to conserve biological diversity and the sustainable use of biological resources. Such programmes often support valuable institutional capacity building needs. Botanic gardens can also become actively involved in the development of mechanisms for the implementation of a number of relevant international conventions that support environmental protection. Representatives may attend Conferences of the Parties to the Conventions as members of national delegations or as observers and contribute to such global debates and processes. Botanic gardens need to be clearly aware and well informed on relevant issues relating to environment and development globally. As an international resource, BGCI provides a network for the exchange of data and information. promotes technical and scientific cooperation to support the conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable use of biological and genetic resources and supports capacity-building in the form of training and to helping the development of environmental institutions - their research, management and facilities, such as herbaria, museums, living collections, information management systems, genebanks and laboratories, each relevant to the conservation of biodiversity. The Conservation Action Plan of the