African Coordinating Mechanism: A formal regional structure for supporting biodiversity information management on the continent.

The document outlines the African Coordinating Mechanism's strategic objectives, achievements, action plan, and call to action for biodiversity informatics.

Strategic Objectives

• Six priority areas to enhance African biodiversity informatics efforts.
• Focus on strengthening data mobilization, institutional capacity, and regional engagement.
• Aim to leverage data for sustainable development and SDGs.

Key Achievements

• Over 30 million primary biodiversity data records mobilized by regional members.
• GBIF-Africa Nodes secured more than US$ 9 million in funding since 2014.
• Continuous regional engagements and capacity-building projects since 2010.

Action Plan

• Implementation of a holistic action plan to create a capacitated network for biodiversity informatics.
• Emphasis on securing funding and developing catalytic projects for mass digitization.
• Exploration of a broader community of practice to enhance data use in conservation outcomes.

Call to Action

• Encouragement for funders, national institutions, and NGOs to join the biodiversity informatics network.
• Advocacy for investment in the African biodiversity informatics community and sharing of data and expertise.
• Support for open science and decision-making at various policy levels.