Press release

IISD launches knowledgebase to assist UN and others in efforts to nurture biodiversity worldwide

The International Institute for Sustainable Development has launched a unique knowledge management project to assist United Nations and intergovernmental action on ways to nurture biodiversity all over the world.

October 31, 2010

NAGOYA, Japan—November 1, 2010—The International Institute for Sustainable Development has launched a unique knowledge management project to assist United Nations and intergovernmental action on ways to nurture biodiversity all over the world.

The online knowledgebase, Biodiversity Policy & Practice, was launched at the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 10) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Nagoya.

"It will support international efforts to promote biodiversity through the sharing of knowledge and lessons learned by policy makers, practitioners, and other key opinion shapers," said Langston James "Kimo" Goree VI, director of IISD Reporting Services. "It will especially assist developing countries where resources and activities focused on protecting the planet remain scarce."

Created and managed by IISD Reporting Services, it is the latest tool serving a broad audience of stakeholders and builds upon IISD's outstanding achievements in the development of peer-to-peer networks and hubs, including the well-respected www.Climate-L.org.

"For more than two decades, IISD has played a key role in providing information and knowledge products and building virtual communities of practice for environment and sustainable development policymakers and practitioners. This initiative will assist the international community in coordinating their work to preserve biological diversity," said Goree.

All news articles on Biodiversity Policy & Practice are researched and produced by IISD Reporting Services' thematic experts, resulting in original content. Information on activities is provided in cooperation with UN system agencies, funds and programs through the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) Secretariat.

Features of the Biodiversity Policy & Practice website include:

·       A knowledgebase of summaries of activities (publications, meetings, statements or projects) by a range of actors, with the option to search by several categories (region, actor, action, issue and implementation mechanism);
·       An archive of all posts on the site, organized by date;
·       A clickable world map to view the latest biodiversity policy news by region (Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America & Caribbean, Near East, North America, and South West Pacific);
·       A link to subscribe to BIODIVERSITY-L, a moderated community announcement list for policy-makers and practitioners involved with biodiversity policy;
·       A link to the most recent "Biodiversity Update," a periodic feed of recent posts to the Biodiversity Policy & Practice knowledgebase;
·       A calendar of upcoming intergovernmental events related to international biodiversity policy;
·       A link to our Biodiversity iCalendar, which automatically updates your own calendar program with upcoming biodiversity events; and
·       A link to IISD Reporting Services' RSS feed.

Please visit Biodiversity Policy & Practice at http://biodiversity-l.iisd.org. Please also visit the Earth Negotiations Bulletin coverage of CBD COP 10 at http://www.iisd.ca/biodiv/cop10/.

Start-up funding for Phase I of Biodiversity Policy & Practice has been provided by the

Global Environment Facility, the world's largest public funder of global environmental issues and the longstanding financial mechanism of the CBD.  

For further information on this initiative, or to provide us with information about your biodiversity-related activity, please contact Faye Leone, Content Editor, at faye@iisd.org.

Please also contact IISD Media and Communications Officer Nona Pelletier for more information at +1 (204) 962-1303 or npelletier@iisd.ca

About IISD

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is an award-winning independent think tank working to accelerate solutions for a stable climate, sustainable resource management, and fair economies. Our work inspires better decisions and sparks meaningful action to help people and the planet thrive. We shine a light on what can be achieved when governments, businesses, non-profits, and communities come together. IISD’s staff of more than 250 experts come from across the globe and from many disciplines. With offices in Winnipeg, Geneva, Ottawa, and Toronto, our work affects lives in nearly 100 countries.

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