IABIN Forges Ahead after Brasilia Launch Meeting

With financial support from the World Bank, the Brazilian-based Base de Dados Tropical has established a new international web site for the Inter-American Biodiversity Information Network (IABIN) at http://www.iabin.org.  The new site provides information on IABIN and will link all national IABIN web sites, including the U.S. site, accessible at http://www.iabin-us.org.   The international site was inaugurated to support the Technical Conference for the Implementation of IABIN, held in Brasilia in April, 1999, and now includes the papers and recommendations arising from that meeting.

At the Brasilia conference, participants agreed on a basic governance structure for IABIN.  That structure includes an IABIN Council, composed of all the national Focal Points for the network; an Executive Committee of 7-9 members, including representation from the various regions of the Americas; a Hub, responsible for the general operations of the network; and a political host.  The Organization of American States (OAS) will serve as the political host.  An IABIN Interim Executive Committee, appointed at the Brasilia meeting to oversee implementation of the network until the first Council meeting, met in Montreal, Canada, on June 26th to discuss actions to be taken during the remainder of the year.

As part of a strategy for IABIN implementation, the government of Brazil has submitted a proposal on behalf of IABIN to the Special Multilateral Fund for the Inter-American Council on Integral Development (FEMCIDI) of the OAS.  Funds are requested to support  implementation of IABIN in the year 2000.  The IABIN Interim Executive Committee is also seeking endorsement of IABIN from the Inter-American Council for Sustainable Development (CIDS) at the OAS.  The Interim Executive Committee is expecting CIDS to pass a resolution endorsing IABIN at their October meeting.   In preparation for official endorsement from the OAS, the Committee is planning to hold the first IABIN Council meeting before the end of 1999.  Financial assistance and endorsement from the OAS will help ensure continuing support for the network and a smooth transition from vision to reality.

IABIN is a regional initiative of the Summit of the Americas that promotes greater coordination among Western Hemisphere countries in the collection, sharing, and use of biodiversity information relevant to decision-making and education.

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