The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) stands as the instrumental agreement
that fosters the urgency of jointly tackling biodiversity-related challenges, including climate change,
biodiversity loss and pollution, to pave the way to reaching the global vision of a world living in
harmony with nature by 2050.
The monitoring framework for realizing the GBF requires the establishment of adequate indicators
and mechanisms for planning, monitoring, reporting, and reviewing implementation; the provision of
necessary financial resources for implementation; and the development of strategic frameworks for
capacity development as well as technical and scientific cooperation.
While all these tools will facilitate the achievement of the four long-term goals for 2050 related to the
2050 vision for biodiversity, and the accomplishment of the 23 action-oriented global targets until
2030, all Parties are urged to take immediate action.
The Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities, CETAF, is a unique European organisation
gathering knowledge and expertise on natural science collections and taxonomy. CETAF provides the
reliable, reproducible and accurate scientific information needed, at the scale and complexity
required, to support the methods or mechanisms that will be needed to undertake habitat
preservation and/or restoration, the sustainable use of species and the conservation of biological
resources. Taxonomic knowledge will be essential in creating a harmonised and inclusive spatial
planning of biodiversity use and preservation.
CETAF statement for the
sustainability of taxonomic
knowledge and expertise
Brussels, 14 April, 2023
CETAF, as a European research-driven organisation, fully supports the vision of the GBF and is
committed to contributing to the achievement of its 2030 targets and 2050 goals. CETAF, as the voice
of natural science collection holding institutions across Europe, understands that taxonomy and
taxonomic knowledge is at the core of all and any actions focused on monitoring ecosystem
health, biodiversity or threatened species. In addition to their importance for taxonomy, reference
collections of specimens hold information that provides the baseline data needed to understand
planetary changes in biodiversity.
CETAF reiterates the importance of defining policy monitoring and indicators on the basis of
solid biodiversity information, underpinned by field observation activities and research of taxonomic
specialists. Moreover, the integration of taxonomic expertise into the development of indicators and
policy actions ensures that the results of monitoring are scientifically sound. The support of scientific
endeavours that results in species description, species identification and the systematic observation
of species in the field will be essential to monitor well policy implementation.
CETAF will dedicate efforts to strategically address the different dimensions involved in halting the
expected rates of biodiversity loss affecting life on Earth and assuring the sustainable use of our
natural resources.
To that end,
CETAF advocates for the building of an enlarged and sustained taxonomic expert pool across
Europe to describe and understand biodiversity, with a long-term vision, that ensures the availability
of taxonomic knowledge in support of biodiversity observation and policy monitoring.
CETAF claims for specifically and distinctively dedicated resources under the GBF to establish,
maintain and ensure the sustainability of the taxonomic expertise required to do the observation of
species and ecosystems in the field. These stand as critical pillars for further implementing robust
policy monitoring that drive scientifically based decision-making processes.
CETAF calls for a political and financial commitment, through European and national programmes
and initiatives, to support the research undertaken by taxonomists as an essential component in the
achievement of the 2030 targets and 2050 goals