Notification 2017-008

Dear Madam/Sir, I am pleased to inform you that our main partner on the implementation of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation, Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), in collaboration with other partners including the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, has recently launched the ThreatSearch database (http://bgci.org/threat_search.php). By providing access to information on the conservation status for over a third of the world’s plant species, ThreatSearch is a powerful resource to support conservation planning and as a complement to the work on the World Flora Online project (www.worldfloraonline.org). The database provides valuable information stemming from global, national and other assessments on the conservation status of plants. It is of particular relevance to Aichi Biodiversity Targets 12 and 19 of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 as well as Targets 2, 7 and 8 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. I invite Parties to make use of this resource in the assessments of progress towards relevant national and global targets, including through the sixth national report (decision XIII/27). In this context, I would like to encourage Parties to engage with specialized institutions holding relevant information for the conservation and sustainable use of plant resources. I would also like to encourage Parties and botanical institutions to share with BGCI any information on assessments of the conservation status of plants that are not yet included in this database. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD and SBSTTA National Focal Points, relevant international organizations