Notification 2005-008

Dear Madam/Sir, I am writing in connection with the Independent review of the Clearing-House Mechanism of the Convention on Biological Diversity (UNEP/CBD/COP/7/INF/12) which recommended the development of a global CHM search engine on the CHM global network to work with relevant and available metadata of national CHM nodes. In support of the above, I am pleased to inform you that the CHM of Bulgaria, with the generous support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, has developed a global metadata management tool to assist national CHMs in making their information interoperable. Use of this new resource will facilitate greatly the searching, locating and retrieving of information held by national CHM national focal points. The CBD metadata management tool is available on the CHM of Bulgaria at: http://metatool.biodiversity.bg/index.cfm. We encourage Parties and Governments to review this new resource and look forward to any comments that you may have on its use.

Executive Secretary

To: CHM National Focal Points CHM Informal Advisory Committee members International thematic focal points