A unique 5 December
Today is a historic day for the soil science community as FAO joined the International Union of Soil Sciences in the Celebration of the World Soil Day by organizing, as part of the 146th FAO Council, a side event at its Headquarters in Rome entitled “Securing healthy soils for a food secure world: a day dedicated to soils”.
Simultaneously, the FAO Council endorsed the request of declaring 5 December as a UN World Soil Day. The resolution will next be discussed in the FAO Conference, before being submitted to the UN General Assembly in September 2013.
Furthermore, after one year of interactive and inclusive work, the 193 member countries of FAO during the 146th FAO Council adopted the Terms of Reference of the Global Soil Partnership and urged FAO to move ahead with its implementation. The Terms of Reference can be accessed here.
Also, on the occasion of the side event, the first GSP report was launched. The report, The State of the Art Report on Global and Regional Soil Information: Where are we? Where to go?, presents the status of global and regional soil information, analyzes user needs, highlights the ongoing global and regional soil information initiatives, and provide recommendations for future joint initiatives.
source: FAO