GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY INFORMATION FACILITY

Terms of Referencefor theExecutive Committee

Approved by the GBIF Executive Committee at the midterm meeting on 21 March 2024,
Copenhagen, Denmark2Preamble
Following from Paragraph 4.7. of the MOU, the Governing Board may establish an ExecutiveCommittee.
1. Purpose
The Executive Committee will be responsible for monitoring the performance of the Secretariat
in implementing the decisions taken by the Governing Board including the Strategic Plan, theWork Programme, and the budget. It is further responsible for taking decisions on behalf of theBoard, especially in the intersessional period between Governing Board meetings, in those areasdelegated to it by the Board. The Executive Committee will act in the best interest of allParticipants.
2. Mandate
The table below identifies those areas of responsibility delegated to the Executive Committee by
the Governing Board, and which areas are reserved to the Board itself (either during Boardmeetings or by an intersessional process).
As specified in the GBIF MOU, Paragraph 4.6,
the Governing Board may:(a) establish its Rules of Procedure andsuch subsidiary bodies as it sees
necessary for its proper functioning
and the achievement of GBIF goals;

The Governing Board delegates the following
activities to the Executive Committee (EC),with oversight by the Governing Board:(a) No delegation.

(b) formalise relationships withorganisations that may assist GBIF toachieve its goals;(b) Delegated to the Executive Secretary andEC.

(c) adopt a multi-year Strategic Plan for
GBIF and a multi-year Budget Plan
with an associated Table of suggested
Basic Financial Contributions;(c) EC may make decisions that follow fromthe Strategic Plan and that cannot await
the next meeting of the board.

(d) adopt the Work Programme and theannual Budget;(d) EC can decide on changes to the Work
Programme as presented by theExecutive Secretary and can approvechanges to the GBIF Budget as long as
those changes have no implication for
the financial contributions of the Voting
Participants and are consistent with thegoals of the GBIF Plans.

(e) monitor the Strategic Plan, the Work
Programme and the Budget and makeadjustments as needed;(e) Delegated to the EC.

(f) decide the timing and scope of
independent reviews of GBIF,
implementation, governance, impactor uptake;(f) The EC will be the forum for initialstrategic discussions on key GBIF issues
that subsequently will be presented tothe Board for discussion and decision.
The EC will oversee follow ups to thereviews etc.
(g) No delegation.

3(g) review and adjust, by consensus, theGuidelines for calculating Basic
Financial Contribution;(h) adopt such rules, regulations andpolicies as may be required for theoperations of GBIF;(i) monitor the performance of the GBIF
Secretariat Host; if necessary, theGoverning Board may replace the GBIFSecretariat Host;(j) select the Executive Secretary; theGoverning Board may also remove theExecutive Secretary;(k) approve the Staff Rules for the GBIF
Secretariat based on recommendations
from the Executive Secretary;(l) provide guidance and direction to theExecutive Secretary on the duties ofthe position and monitor the Executive
Secretary’s performance;(m) approve the annual financial
statement and select the auditcompany;(n) carry out other functions conferred
upon it by this MOU; and(o) consider any matters pertaining toGBIF or its operations submitted to itby the Executive Secretary, the GBIF
Secretariat Host, or by anyParticipant;(h) The EC can make decisions on technicaland minor changes that do not have
implication for the financial
contributions of Voting Participants.
(i) The EC monitors the Secretariat Host andmakes recommendations to the GB, ifnecessary.
(j) No delegation.
(k) The EC can make decisions on technicaland minor changes that do not have
implication for the financial
contributions of Voting Participants.
(l) No role for the EC. (Delegated to theChair of the Governing Board.)(m) No delegation.

(n) The EC may have a preparatory role until
the GB is in session.
(o) To the extent that a matter cannot await
the next meeting of the Governing
Board, the EC may consider the mattersand make recommendations.

In addition to these delegated responsibilities of the Governing Board as specified in the MOU,
the Executive Committee will:
Oversee the Supplementary Fund and decide on which contributions can be accepted into theSupplementary Fund when contributors have stipulated particular uses of the contributed funds;(i) Advise- on staff issues presented to the Executive Committee by the Executive Secretary- the Chair of the Governing with respect to calls for extra ordinary meetings of the GoverningBoard;(ii) Decide- on whether a petition to become an Associate or Voting Participants meet the criteria forbecoming a GBIF member;- on Participants or non-members to be observers to GBIF;

4- on petitions for affiliation to GBIF according to guidelines decided to by the Governing Board(See RoP 9);- on Participants to be disassociated from GBIF;- on issues of suspension of voting rights of a Voting Participant in case of non-payment of theagreed financial contribution set out in the financial arrangement (See RoP 4.2.1);- on writing off financial contributions in arrear following general guidelines decided by theGoverning Board;- on members to be appointed to the Science Committee and Budget Committee in accordancewith the Committee Terms of References as well as for temporary committees, workinggroups, task groups etc. established by the Governing Board or the Executive Committee itself;- on extraordinary and unforeseen issues where the Executive Secretary would otherwise need
GB approval to act.
(iii) Approve staff matters according to Staff Rules:-the GBIFS staffing plan;
the annual staff salary scale;recruitment of professional staff; members without an international call;the recruiting procedure for hiring the Executive Secretary and as well the procedure forterminating the Executive Secretary’s employment contract before the agreed expiry date;- the GB Chair’s report on the Executive Secretary’s performance- suspension of salary step increase for all staff following from financial constrains;
Wherever appropriate, before making a decision the EC shall seek advice from the relevant GBIF
advisory committee (Science Committee, Budget Committee, Nodes Committee).
3. Composition of the Executive Committee
The members of the Executive Committee are••••The Chair and three Vice-Chair(s) of the Governing Board (up to four)
The Vice Chairs assist the Chair in the conduct of EC business including governance issues,science strategy and external relations.
The Chairs of the Standing Committees (Science, Budget and Nodes)
The Executive Secretary (ex officio)

Members of the committees are operating in the interest of GBIF and not representing theirnational interests.
Secretariat Staff members may attend the meetings of the Executive Committee, upon invitationof the Chair. When appropriate the Chair may also invite guests relevant for the discussion of aspecific item on the agenda.
4. Operating Procedures
4.1. Meetings
The Executive Committee will have a meeting back to back with the ordinary Governing Boardand at least one meeting in between the annual Governing Board meetings. The Chair will inaddition schedule regular telephone or video conferences to conduct the regular business of theExecutive.
4.2. Agenda
For any meeting of the Executive Committee, the Chair will normally dispatch a draft agenda andcopies of any documents to be considered at the meeting no later than one week before themeeting date.

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4.3. Decision making
The Executive Committee will strive to work by consensus. If the EC cannot come to anagreement on a particular issue, the Chair will decide.
In between in-person meetings the Chair will utilise the web, teleconferences, video conferencesor other electronic means to discuss business and come to decisions.
Each member of the Executive Committee is required to identify all issues in which s/he has aconflict of interest, and may not participate on any discussion or decision on those issues. In
cases where there is ambiguity about a particular item, the Chair will rule whether a conflict ofinterest exists or not.
The Executive Secretary will not participate on agenda items dealing with the appointment of a
successor to the Executive Secretary.
In order to transact business, a quorum of the committee must be present. A quorum consists ofat least five committee members, including the Chair or the first Vice-chair.
4.4. Record
The Secretariat will keep a record of the decisions taken at the meetings of the EC. The
Secretariat will circulate the record to the Governing Board within one month of the EC meeting.
The decisions taken will also be presented at the following business meeting of the Governing
Board in the report from the Executive Committee.
4.5. Cost
Costs of participation for members of the EC in meetings held back-to-back with Governing Board
meetings will normally be paid by the Participant from which the EC member comes. Committee
members from Voting Participant developing countries (i.e. countries that qualify for thedeveloping country discount under the Financial Model) may apply for partial travel support toattend the relevant Committee meeting and Governing Board, so long as the Participant is ingood standing. Approval of such support will be at the discretion of the Secretariat based on theavailability of funds. Costs of other EC meetings will be paid by the Secretariat.
4.6. Observers
Other Governing Board delegates may attend meetings as observers but should give at least one
week’s notice to the Chair. Observers may not participate in the discussions and will bear theirown cost for attending the meetings.

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