Approved-By:  "EDTECH Moderator" <21765EDT@MSU.BITNET>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.edtech
Date:         Tue, 25 Aug 1992 18:53:00 EDT
From:         Gleason Sackman <sackman@plains.nodak.edu>
Subject:      BIN21 (fwd)

----------------------------Original message----------------------------

---------- Text of forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1992 03:00:00 LCL
From: Dora Ann Lange Canhos <dora@bdt.ftpt.ansp.br>
To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <DEVEL-L@auvm.bitnet>
Subject: BIN21

                    P R E S S   R E L E A S E

                            issued by

            BIODIVERSITY INFORMATION NETWORK WORKSHOP
            Base de Dados Tropical, Campinas, Brasil


                BIODIVERSITY INFORMATION NETWORK

                 CALL FOR FURTHER PARTICIPATION



Within the context of the Biodiversity Convention and Agenda 21, an
international group established a Biodiversity Information Network to
solve the problem of managing global diversity information. The network
will disseminate and facilitate access to biodiversity information
worldwide. It will encourage the active involvement of all regions of the
world. The first mission of the initiative is to ensure participation of
the entire biodiversity community.

The Workshop, sponsored by the International Union of Biological
Sciences, the International Union of Microbiological Societies and the
World Federation for Culture Collections, was held at the Tropical Data
Base, Campinas, Brasil, July 26-31, 1992. Initial participants included
scientists, non-governmental and governmental organizations.

The sustainable management of the environment and conservation of the
biodiversity of plants, animals, microorganisms and all living things
depends on reliable and readily accessible information. Without
information on the names, the location, activity and interactions of
organisms in the ecosystem, appropriate policies, conservation strategies
or remedial actions cannot succeed.

The amount of information currently in existence and soon to be developed
is vast. It is scattered around the world and is not easily obtained.
There is a clear need for a network to link these resources and make them
readily available. The participants invite the active involvement of all
individuals and organizations with an interest in the aims of the
network.

The network to be established will be primarily electronic - linking
databases and providing a communications system - but will use all other
means of distributing information. The network will encourage exchange of
data and ensure that the needs of developing countries are met. The
information resource will be global and the participation of the
developing world will be actively sought.

An interim steering group will provide support for the initiative and
seek funding and sponsorship. Working groups have been formed to give
technical, educational and administrative support to start the process of
establishing the network. Simultaneously with the workshop online
bulletin boards were set up in which several hundred interested people
participated. From this it is clear that the initiative is attracting
worldwide interest, reflecting the general recognition that information
is an essential element in the underpinning of the Rio Convention.

The Workshop was funded by the United Nations Environment Programme,
Insituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renovaveis,
Programa de Formacao de Recursos Humanos para Areas Estrategicas,
Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico,
Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos, The British Council.

For further information contact:
* Vanderlei Canhos, Base de Dados Tropical, Fundacao Tropical de
  Pesquisas e Tecnologia "Andre Tosello", Rua Latino Coelho, 1301 -
  Parque Taquaral, 13087-010 Campinas, SP, Brasil,
  Tel:+55 192 42-7022, Email: vcanhos@bdt.ftpt.ansp.br

* John McComb, World Conservation Monitoring Centre, 201 Huntingdon Road,
  Cambridge, CB3 ODL, UK; Tel: +44 223 277314, Email:johnm@wcmc.co.uk, BT
  Gold 75:DBI0710

* Barbara Kirsop, Microbial Strain Data Network, 307 Huntingdon Road,
  Cambridge, CB3 OJX, UK, Tel: +44 223 276622, Email: msdn@cgnet.com or
  BT Gold 75:DBI0005

* Anthony Whitworth, Association for Progressive Communications, 2284
  Railroad Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99709, Tel: +1 907 4798129, Email:
  anthony@igc.apc.org or anthony@gis.lter.alaska.edu

* Hideaki Sugawara, World Data Center for Microorganisms, The Institute
  of Physical and Chemical Research, RIKEN, Saitama, Japan, Tel: +81 48
  4621111, Email: r35118@rkna50.riken.go.jp


NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTED IN PERSON INCLUDED:
ALTERNEX (Brasil), Antarctic Environmental Data Centre (UK), ARMADATA
(Brasil), Base de Dados Tropical (Brasil), BIOSIS (UK), Comision Nacional
para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad (Mexico), ECOFORCE
(Brasil), ECONET (USA), FAPESP (Brasil), FTPT 'Andre Tosello' (Brasil),
GERI (Korea), IBAMA (Brasil), IBICT (Brasil), IBPGR (Italy), IMI (UK),
IPBM (Russia), IBGE (Brasil), MGDN (USA), MSDN (UK), National Science
Foundation (USA), Natural History Museum (UK), Projecto Red Academica de
Biodiversidad Latinoamericana (Mexico), RIKEN (Japan), UNESCO Mircen
(Sweden), UNICAMP (Brasil), University of Newcastle upon Tyne (UK),
University of Technology, Sydney (Australia), Weizmann Institute of
Science (Israel), World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UK)

+ some 200 further organizations/individuals participating online through
  computer networking services provided by the organizers.

Issued by the Biodiversity Information Network Workshop - July 31st 1992,
Campinas, Brasil.

Sponsored by:
the United Nations Environment Programme
the International Union of Biological Sciences
the International Union of Microbiological Societies
the World Federation for Culture Collections



WORKSHOP SUMMARY

A Workshop on the Needs and Specifications for a Biodiversity Information
Network held at the Tropical Data Base, Campinas, Brasil, July 26-31,
1992, was attended by 35 people from a number of international
organizations. It was made available online through a variety of
electronic networks which were accessed by some 200 people, 30 of whom
sent contributions to the discussions.

The purpose of the Network is to support and encourage protection of the
environment and conservation of the genetic resources inherent in its
biodiversity. In order to pursue this objective and support the
Biodiversity Convention and Agenda 21 (Chapters 15 and 40), the following
recommendations were agreed. These will be distributed widely so that the
biodiversity community has the opportunity to comment and express its
interest.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1.  The initiative will be known as the Biodiversity Information Network
    21. The network will facilitate access to all levels of information
    (from molecular to biosphere) and will combine the knowledge within
    each discipline, furthering the understanding of biodiversity of
    living systems. Such an effort will identify and seek to fill the
    gaps, leading to new research and more informed policy decisions.

2.  The goal will be to exchange information by electronic means whenever
    possible, but to include other ways of communication as needed by the
    network participants. To achieve a global electronic access, support
    should be provided to regions where facilities do not exist.

3.  It will be a distributed network that will link many different
    sources of information across the world and will operate on a not-
    for-profit basis. Such a design is scientifically, economically and
    politically practical, allowing effort and resources to be shared.

4.  The network will be open to a wide range of user groups including,
    but not limited to scientists, teachers, natural resource managers,
    policy makers, regulatory and legislative agencies and public
    interest groups. The needs of the user community will be actively
    sought to enable their requirements to be met more effectively.

5.  The network will actively encourage the free exchange of information
    on a worldwide basis and will also encourage the standardization of
    information and methodology.

6.  A Secretariat will be established as a focal point and clearing house
    to facilitate and coordinate the flow of information among those with
    an interest in biodiversity.

7.  Cooperating groups will be established with the purpose of
    encouraging participation and regional development. Collaboration
    with existing centers will be encouraged in order to prevent
    duplication of efforts already underway and to promote efficient use
    of funds. Support for developing countries to ensure global
    participation will be an important element.

8.  Initially, an interim Steering Committee will be set up to coordinate
    immediate activities and seek funding. It will be supported by a
    number of Working Groups. These working groups will advise in areas
    such as: Technical Issues, Outreach, Training and
    Editorial/Moderating Functions.

9.  An initial activity will be to design and develop a Directory of
    Biodiversity Information Resources, drawing on existing directories.
    It will be made widely available by all possible means.

10. The involvement and support of other organizations and initiatives
    working within biodiversity will be solicited.

--
-----------------------------------------------------------
Dora Ann Lange Canhos         E-mail: dora@bdt.ftpt.ansp.br
Base de Dados Tropical        Tel:    +55 192 427022
Fundacao "Andre' Tosello"     Fax:    +55 192 427827
-----------------------------------------------------------

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