Article 17 of the International Treaty states that “Contracting Parties shall cooperate to develop and strengthen a global information system to facilitate the exchange of information, based on existing information systems, on scientific, technical and environmental matters related to plant genetic resources for food and agriculture".

The large number of ongoing initiatives, their diverse nature and scope, and the variety of stakeholders involved, require the establishment of strategic partnerships to allow them to collaborate and provide more effective and coordinated support to plant breeding, and to the implementation of the Multilateral System.

In order to facilitate progress in the development of the Global Information System foreseen in Article 17, the Secretariat is establishing strategic partnerships and participates in the development of information systems and tools, under the guidance of the Governing Body. Some of the major activities are:

-Research on stakeholders and users’ needs;

-Creation of inventories and databases on plant genetic resources for food and agriculture;

-Development of linkages with the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Clearing House Mechanism, the Genesys portal, the World Information Sharing Mechanism for the implementation of the Gobal Plan of Action , Eurisco, Grin-Global and other relevant Multilateral Environmental Agreements;