CBD COP11 (10/10/2012) – Vishwas Chavan, Senior Programme Officer for Content Mobilisation at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), explains the work of GBIF, a multilateral organisation aiming to ensure free and open access to biodiversity data and information.

Chavan explains that GBIF has, since 2001, been putting into place a global biodiversity information infrastructure. He asserts that in the last ten years, GBIF has proved that exchanging and sharing data without boundaries is possible and beneficial. According to Mr Chavan, GBIF shares 380 million biodiversity observation records from 320 publishers.

Chavan says that at COP11, GBIF aims to work with parties, civil society and international organisations to bring the culture of data sharing, use and reuse of data to the fore.

Chavan sees much work to be done to create a culture of sharing data and institutional frameworks for sharing data. He explains that making sure that data is properly credited to its original collector, and creating a culture in which the publication of data is treated with the same respect as other types of academic publication, is vital to the furthering of science internationally.