COPENHAGEN, 3 DECEMBER 2000
(updated 7 November 2005)

This document presents the means by which a national government, economy, or international organisation may indicate its intention to participate in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility by designating an entity under its jurisdiction to sign the GBIF Memorandum of Understanding. Also see How to Become a GBIF Participant

The document consists of six parts:

1. Procedures to follow to become a Participant in GBIF.
2. Model Letter of Intent for becoming a Participant in GBIF.
3. A Short History of GBIF.
4. The Mission of GBIF.
5. Establishment of GBIF.
6. Strategic Plan of GBIF.

1. Procedures to follow to become a Participant in GBIF
   

   Any national government, economy, or recognised international organisation is invited to become a Participant in GBIF by sending a Letter of Intent that identifies an entity under its jurisdiction to sign the GBIF Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and indicates which kind of participation is desired.
   

   There are two kinds of Participation in GBIF:

   • Associate Participants are those governments, economies or international organisations that are prepared to share biodiversity data and to develop a computing gateway or node for accessing such data.
   • Voting Participants are those governments or economies that, in addition to sharing data and developing a GBIF node, also are prepared to provide a voluntary financial contribution to the costs of running GBIF, as outlined in Annex I of the GBIF MoU. At this time, international organisations are not eligible to become Voting Participants in GBIF. This categorisation will remain in effect at least until the third-year independent, external review of GBIF, when eligibility for the Voting Participant category will be considered further.

   Upon receipt of the Letter of Intent, GBIF will send a signature copy of the MOU to the designated entity. That entity will return the signed MOU and, in the case of a Voting Participant, will indicate the size of the intended yearly financial contribution to the operations of GBIF.

   
   

   The Letter of Intent should be sent to the Chair of the GBIF Governing Board.
   Information about which Participants have signed the MOU can be found on the GBIF Internet communications portal.
    

2. Model Letter of Intent
   The Letter of Intent for the participation in GBIF should be addressed to:
   
   GBIF Secretariat
   Universitetsparken 15
   DK-2100 Copenhagen
   Denmark
   Tel: +45 35 32 14 70
   Fax: +45 35 32 14 80
   E-mail:
    
   [Name of country, economy, organisation or intergovernmental organisation] wishes to become [an Associate] [a Voting] Participant in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), and therefore we designate the following entity under our jurisdiction to sign the GBIF Memorandum of Understanding (MOU):

   
    
   ____(fill in details for designate)_______

   
   Please send a copy of the MOU for signature to the following address:
    
     We recognise that upon your receipt of the signed MOU, we become a Participant in GBIF.
    

   Signed by relevant authority

   
    

3. A Short History of GBIF
   For more detailed information on the history of GBIF, see History of GBIF

   
   On 22–23 June 1999, the OECD Committee for Scientific and Technological Policy at Ministerial Level in Paris endorsed a recommendation from the OECD Megascience Forum that a Global Biodiversity Information Facility be established, with participation open to any interested country. To follow up on these recommendations, an Interim Steering Committee was formed to develop GBIF.

   
   On 2-3 December 2000, representatives from 32 countries, economies and intergovernmental organisations convened in Copenhagen for the fourth meeting of the Interim Steering Committee. At that meeting, consensus was reached on the principles and mechanisms for establishing GBIF, and it was decided that the GBIF Memorandum of Understanding would be made available for signature on 15 December 2000.
   As of 1 March 2001, GBIF had attained the required number of Participants and funding, and was officially instantiated.
    

4. GBIF Mission
   The mission of GBIF is to make the world's biodiversity data freely and universally available via the Internet.

   
   A co-ordinated international scientific effort such is needed to enable users throughout the world to discover and put to use vast quantities of global biodiversity data, thereby advancing scientific research in many disciplines, promoting technological and sustainable development, facilitating the equitable sharing of the benefits of biodiversity, and enhancing the quality of life of members of society. The importance of making biodiversity data openly available to all countries and individuals is underscored by various international agreements, especially the Convention on Biological Diversity.

   GBIF will be a body in its own right with open-ended membership. It will work in close co-operation with established programmes and organisations that compile, maintain and use biological information resources, specifically with the Convention on Biological Diversity and other competent national/international organisations (UNEP, UNESCO, and others).
    
   It is the intention that GBIF:

   • be shared and distributed, while encouraging co-operation and coherence;
   • be global in scale, though implemented nationally and regionally;
   • be accessible by individuals anywhere in the world, offering potential benefits to all, while being funded primarily by those that have the greatest financial capabilities;
   • promote standards and software tools designed to facilitate their adaptation into multiple languages, character sets and computer encodings;
   • serve to disseminate technological capacity by drawing on and making widely available scientific and technical information; and,
   • make biodiversity data universally available, while fully acknowledging the contribution made by those gathering and furnishing these data.
   
     Each Participant in GBIF should seek to:
   • participate actively in the formulation and implementation of the GBIF Work Programme;
   • promote the sharing of biodiversity data in GBIF under a common set of standards;
   • form nodes, accessible via GBIF, that will provide access to biodiversity data;
   • as appropriate, make other national investments in biodiversity information infrastructure in support of GBIF; and
   • contribute to training and capacity development for promoting global access to biodiversity data.
   
    
5. Establishment
   GBIF has been established via a two-phased approach. The first, five-year phase was launched in 2001 via a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU is a non-binding document that describes the purpose, structure and operational procedures of GBIF. The MOU does not create any binding legal claims or obligations on the participants nor set any political precedents.
    
   In the third year, an independent review of GBIF’s operations, financial mechanisms, legal basis, governance structure, and links to other organisations will be conducted to determine if any changes are needed. The lessons learned will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the governance structure and recommend any necessary changes.
    
6. GBIF Strategic Plan
   For more information, see the GBIF Plans 2007-2011: from prototype towards full operation.