9 September 2011: The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has circulated the report of the fourth meeting of the Liaison Group on the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation, held from 8-9 July 2011, in St. Louis, United States, as well as the draft toolkit for the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation.The Liaison Group reviewed progress in implementation of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation and agreed that the Plant Conservation Report provides a good model for the next progress report. It noted that experiences of those who have successfully mainstreamed the Strategy into national planning and decision-making processes should be compiled and used to prepare terms of reference and guidance to facilitate the work of other Strategy focal points. The Liaison Group further discussed: options for facilitating capacity building, technology transfer, and financial support programmes for the effective implementation of the Strategy; the status of development of the toolkit; development of the technical rationales, milestones and indicators for the updated Global Strategy; and opportunities for raising awareness about the Strategy.

The toolkit was developed under the lead of Botanic Gardens Conservation International, with funding from Spain and Japan.

In preparation for the 16th meeting of the CBD Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA 16), to be held from 30 April-4 May 2012, in Montreal, Canada, the CBD Secretariat invites comments and observations on the report and the draft toolkit until the deadline of 31 October 2011. [CBD Notification] [Liaison Group Meeting Report] [Draft Toolkit]