Convention on Biological Diversity - CHM cooperation<p><img title="Clearing House Mechanism (CHM)" style="border: 0px solid black; width: 50px; height: 100px; margin: 12px 0px; float: right;" src="/images/logo_CHM-txt.jpg" height="100" width="50" />The Convention on Biological Diversity has established the Clearing-House Mechanism (CHM) to ensure that all governments have access to the information and technologies they need for their work on biodiversity.</p>
<p>The objective of the CHM is to strengthen the cooperation and networking between stakeholders of various fields of biodiversity – governments, NGOs, consultants, academic institutions, environmental professionals and others. In order to achieve this, the CHM helps to improve the exchange of information as well as of scientific and technical expertise.</p>
<p>The establishment of national websites on biodiversity forms one of the main pillars of the CHM approach. In complement, many other non-web activies are also carried out.</p>
<p>Belgium is involved at many levels in CHM cooperation:</p>
<ul>
<li>at international level, through its participation in the global CHM network,</li>
<li>at European level, through its involvement in the European Community CHM and its cooperation with other European countries,</li>
<li>in the 'Partnering role for the CHM'.</li>
</ul>
<p>The 'Partnering role for the CHM' assists countries to improve their access to information and their acquisition of knowledge. It also furnishes means to relay these efficiently at national level. The activities of the 'partnering role' focus primarily on the use of web-based technologies, but non Internet-based activities are also carried out. Most countries with which Belgium cooperates in this programme are located in Africa.</p>2014-11-25T16:43:45Ztag:www.archives.biodiv.be,2014-11-25:/cooperation/chm_coophttp://www.archives.biodiv.be/misc_/CHM2/Site.gifConvention on Biological DiversityEuropean CHM cooperationtag:www.archives.biodiv.be,2014-11-25:/cooperation/chm_coop/euchm-coop2014-11-25T16:43:45ZAnton CupceaAnne Franklin<p>European cooperation for the CHM is essentially taking place through the European Community Clearing House Mechanism, or EC CHM in short. The objective of the EC CHM is to promote technical cooperation and technology transfer within the European Union and its Member States, within the Pan European Region and with the rest of the world. The European Environment Agency is the driving force behind the EC CHM.</p>
<p>Belgium contributes to the EC CHM activities by</p>
<ul>
<li>participating in European meetings organised in collaboration with the CBD Secretariat. These meetings serve to echange experiences and to reinforce networking at European level</li>
<li>contributing actively to the development of the EC CHM Portal Toolkit, a web content management tool</li>
<li>pooling expertise with other European countries to undertake common projects.</li>
</ul>
<p>Belgium also has long lasting bilateral CHM cooperation with several European countries, such as Germany, the Netherlands and France.</p>
<p><br />
</p>Partnering role for the CHMtag:www.archives.biodiv.be,2014-11-25:/cooperation/chm_coop/chm-partnering2014-11-25T16:43:45ZAnton CupceaAnne Franklin<p>In 1997, the International Expert Meeting on 'Building the Clearing-House' recommended to<br />
</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"Establish CHM Partnering for non-webconnected National Focal Points (NFPs) by those NFPs who have access to the Internet and additional space on their server for this kind of bilateral collaboration. This also would help to create CHM-identity among the Parties."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In this context, Belgium - through its Partnering role for the CHM - helps countries to improve their access to information and furnishes means to relay these efficiently at national level, among others through the Internet. It also contributes to the exchange of scientific and technical expertise.</p>
<p>In practice, the Belgian CHM Focal Point<br />
</p>
<ul>
<li>offers training courses in the development and maintenance of websites</li>
<li>hosts CHM websites on its web server</li>
<li>helps to stimulate networking and the exchange of experiences through the organisation of workshops<br />
</li>
<li>organises non electronic activities in the field of communication, education and public awareness.</li>
</ul>
<p>For example, the Belgian server hosts the CHM website of the Democratic Republic of Congo since 1998, on request by their CHM Focal Point. Other countries have followed and the Belgian CHM is now hosting the websites of about 20 African countries and of one regional organisation. Chad asked in 1999 whether the Belgian CHM could train a person to become webmster for their CHM website. As other countries were also interested in the training, Belgium broadened its partnership role to organise several different types of webmaster training courses.</p>
<p align="center"> <img alt="" style="width: 170px; height: 227px;" src="http://www.biodiv.be/PhotoArchive/olivier_formateur.JPG/view" /> <img alt="" src="http://www.biodiv.be/PhotoArchive/CHM-Burundi-2004-web_training2.jpg/view" /> <br />
</p>
<p align="left"><br />
</p>DGD - RBINS specific conventiontag:www.archives.biodiv.be,2014-11-25:/cooperation/chm_coop/DGD-rbins-specific-convention2014-11-25T16:43:45ZAnton CupceaAnne Franklin