Global Taxonomy Initiative

The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity is seeking expressions of interest from relevant institutions/organizations for hosting Global Taxonomy Initiative (GTI) training courses in 2018 on DNA technologies for rapid species identification. The Secretariat will support the training courses in partnership with Guelph University and the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, Canada, in line with decisions XI/29 and XIII/31 of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention.

Thanks to the generous financial support from the Government of Japan through the Japan Biodiversity Fund, up to eight training courses will be supported with a maximum grant of $ 20,000 USD each.

Proposals should be prepared using the standard application form and be accompanied by letters of endorsement signed by the CBD Primary National Focal Point and the hosting institution, as well as by external donors, if applicable. The completed application form and letters of endorsement should be submitted through the CBD Primary National Focal Point via e-mail to secretariat@cbd.int no later than 30 November 2017.

For more information on the application procedure and selection criteria, please click here. UPDATED!

To download the application form, please click here.

New Resources

On 1 November 2017, the CBD Secretariat and the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario at the University of Guelph hosted the webinar “Getting Familiar with the Call for Proposals on the GTI Training Courses to be hosted in Developing Countries in 2018”. The webinar targeted trained trainers who participated in previous GTI training courses, as well as members of institutions and organizations interested in hosting training courses using DNA technologies to identify species. During the webinar, our team explored the application procedure and selection criteria and offered useful tips to help participants in developing their training proposals.

Below you will find the link to the webinar recording and the resources used.

• Webinar Recording

• PowerPoint Presentation

The presentation has clickable links to additional external resources; feel free to explore this feature.

• Application Form Instructions

This Excel file offers instructions and examples on what to include in each field of the application form.

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The FAQ comprehends a compilation of questions received prior and during the webinar. Feel free to refer to it as much as possible as it provides rich information in addition to CBD notification and application procedure and selection.

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Effective conservation and management of biodiversity depends in large part on our understanding of taxonomy. Unfortunately, inadequate taxonomic information and infrastructure, coupled with declining taxonomic expertise, hinders our ability to make informed decisions about conservation, sustainable use and sharing of the benefits derived from genetic resources. Governments, through the Convention on Biological Diversity, have acknowledged the existence of a "taxonomic impediment" to the sound management of biodiversity, and have developed the Global Taxonomic Initiative to remove or reduce the impediment. More »