4 September 2013: At its first meeting, the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS) of the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) considered its upcoming tasks, outputs and follow up responsibilities.

The Panel, which met in Rome, Italy, from 22-26 July 2013, discussed its contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and designated a working group on the SDGs to finalize a soils brief, support indicator development and integrate new issues such as soil biodiversity, climate change and soil vulnerabilities. On the Global Soil Partnership Pillars of Action, the Panel designated focal leads to assist in the development of Action Plans and to follow up with an ITPS meeting in early 2014. On an update of the World Soil Charter, the ITPS agreed that a revision would be appropriate, and that the ITPS would work with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) to carry out an evaluation of the existing Charter with an aim to submit revised text to the FAO Conference of 2015.

With respect to links with relevant international organizations, the ITPS agreed on a broad plan of engagement. Finally, the group discussed the development of a World Soil Resources Report with the aim of delivering a report possibly at World Soil Day on 5 December 2015. The next meeting of the ITPS will provisionally occur during the week of 26 January 2014 at the FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy. [ITPS Meeting Report] [GSP News][Land Policy & Practice coverage of the Global Soil Partnership (GSP)]