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GBIF NewsletterNo. 17 - June 2010
The mission of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) is to facilitate free andopen access to biodiversity data worldwide via the Internet to underpin sustainable
development. Priorities, with an emphasis on promoting participation and working throughpartners, include mobilising biodiversity data, developing protocols and standards to ensure
scientific integrity and interoperability, building an informatics architecture to allow theinterlinking of diverse data types from disparate sources, promoting capacity building andcatalysing development of analytical tools for improved decision-making.

CALLS FOR ACTION AND PARTICIPATION
Request for proposals to draft a GBIF position paper
The GBIF Secretariat has issued a request for proposals to draft a GBIF position paper onenabling a shared infrastructure for the development, maintenance and governance ofvocabularies and ontologies for biodiversity informatics. Deadline for submission is 14 July [readmore...]COLLABORATIVE PROJECTSGBIF and LifeWatch sign collaborative agreement for mutual benefit
The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and the LifeWatch infrastructure forbiodiversity and ecosystem research recently joined forces by signing a Memorandum ofCooperation (MoC) that will enable the two organisations to collaborate on development andsharing of critical biodiversity informatics infrastructure and information. [read more...]ICIMOD members to promote sharing of biodiversity data
Eight regional member countries of ICIMOD take on the global platform to promote sharing ofbiodiversity data in the Hindu Kush- Himalayan Region. [read more...]
GBIF Mentoring Projects 2010
GBIF issued a call for Mentoring Proposals in February 2010. Three projects have now been
selected for 2010. [read more...]
GBIF Mentoring Project Belgium-Mauritania, first meeting held in Nouakchott
As part of the Belgium-Mauritania Mentoring Programme, a two days GBIF Workshop was held inNouakchott, Mauritania. 22 participants from various institutions, ministries, universities andnational parks attended the meeting at the Ecole Normale Supérieure that was designated by
Mauritania as the National GBIF Node, also known as MrBIF. [read more...]Albertine Rift data sharing commitment agreed
Participants attending a meeting on Albertine Rift Data Management, Sharing and Reporting
have committed to work together at local, national and regional levels in order to promote datacollection, storage and information sharing in the Albertine Rift region. [read more...]
GBIF urges countries to support the establishment of scientific bodyCountries have been asked to consider lessons learnt from existing intergovernmental initiatives
in order to support a proposed new science-policy initiative that will seek to improve thescientific basis for addressing pressing environmental challenges globally. The recommendation
to establish an IPBES - an Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity andEcosystem Services - was made by government representatives at a high-level UN meeting heldin Busan, Korea from 7 – 11 June 2010. [read more...]Layout & design © GBIF

No. 17, June 2010

page 2GBitsTOOLS AND SERVICES

New version of the GBIF Data Portal released
A new version of the GBIF Data Portal (version 1.3) is now available at http://data.gbif.org. The
latest release makes use of upgraded software that eliminates bugs that were reported by theGBIF Community through the Data Portal project site (http://code.google.com/p/gbifdataportal/). [read more...]PARTICIPATIONGBIF – 98 Participants
The total number of GBIF Participants is 98, comprising 54 GBIF country members and 44
international organisation members. For a full list of GBIF’s current Participants, click here.

PUBLICATIONSGBIF Annual Report 2009 published
The GBIF Annual Report 2009 was published on 4 June. The report includes the highlights of avery successful year for the organisation and can be accessed electronically from here.
Updated edition of Terms Used in Bionomenclature
The Global Biodiversity Information Facility would like to announce the publication of an
updated edition of Terms Used in Bionomenclature, compiled by Prof. David Hawksworth. [readmore...]MEETINGS & EVENTSIndia, GBIF and IAIA start talks on 2nd global EIA data project
An Indian project that will capture biodiversity data generated by Environmental ImpactAssessments (EIAs) was at the centre of discussions at a workshop attended by several EIA
stakeholders in Dehradun, India 23-26 June 2010. [read more...]SECRETARIAT NEWS
Canadian Scientist Awarded 9th Ebbe Nielsen Prize
The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) announced the winner of the 9th Ebbe
Nielsen Prize as Mr. Sujeevan Ratnasingham, a Canadian scientist credited with thedevelopment of the Barcode of Life Data (BOLD) Systems. [read more...]CONTACTS
Postal and physicaladdress:

GBIF Secretariat
Universitetsparken 15
DK-2100 Copenhagen ØDenmark

Contact information for GBIF
Secretariat staff:

Tel: +45 35 32 14 70
Fax: +45 35 32 14 80
E-mail: info@gbif.org

http://www.gbif.org/communications/directory-ofcontacts/gbif-secretariat/

GBits archive: http://www.gbif.org/communications/resources/newsletters/
Layout & design © GBIF

No. 17, June 2010