Notification 2006-059

Dear Madam/Sir, You may recall that the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, in its decision V/9, established a Global Taxonomy Initiative (GTI) Coordination Mechanism to assist the Executive Secretary to facilitate international cooperation and coordinate activities under the GTI. The Terms of Reference for the Coordination Mechanism, annexed to decision V/9, state that the Executive Secretary, in consultation with the Bureau of the SBSTTA, shall select 10 members of the Coordination Mechanism, with due regard to geographical balance to allow two representatives from each region, on a rotational basis. The Executive Secretary also invites a number of leading relevant organizations to participate. Pursant to decision V/9 and after consultation with the Bureau of the SBSTTA, I would like to inform you of the updated composition of the GTI Coordination Mechanism as follows: Africa: 1. Alfred A. Oteng-Yeboah (Ghana) 2. Gideon Smith (South Africa) Asia-Pacific: 1. Junko Shimura (Japan) 2. Keping Ma (China) CEE: 1. Alexey Kotov (Russian Federation) 2. Karol Marhold (Slovakia) GRULAC: 1. Hesiquio Benitez (Mexico) 2. Lily Rodriguez (Peru) WEOG: 1. Christoph Hauser (Germany) - Chair 2. Chris Lyal (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) Ex-officio member: COP-8 President (Brazil) In addition, the following organizations participate in the Coordination Mechanism at my invitation: 1. Global Biodiversity Information Facility 2. BioNET International 3. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization 4. Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands 5. United Nations Environment Programme – Division of Global Environment Facility Coordination 6. Global Environment Facility 7. Global Invasive Species Programme 8. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations / Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention 9. IUCN – The World Conservation Union 10. Smithsonian Institution 11. Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew 12. United Nations Environment Programme – World Conservation Monitoring Centre Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points, SBSTTA National Focal Points, GTI National Focal Points