CBOL is committed to promoting global participation in the Barcode Initiative. With this goal in mind, CBOL's Executive Committee has set an ambitious goal of holding four outreach meetings in developing regions during 2006. The goals of these meetings are to:

• Disseminate information on DNA barcoding and its uses for science and society;
• Discuss possible barcoding initiatives that respond to national and regional needs;
• Begin the process of assessing priorities and needs related to barcoding projects; and
• Initiate the formation of regional networks for collaboration on barcoding projects.

BioNET-INTERNATIONAL and its regional networks are CBOL's principal partners in planning and conducting outreach meetings in developing regions. BioNET is a leader in promoting the Global Taxonomy Initiative of the Convention for Biological Diversity.

The Cape Town Meeting
The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) hosted a meeting of 82 delegates at Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden on Friday and Saturday, 7-8 April 2006.

Meeting Announcement
SANBI issued a Call for Participation in the regional meeting on behalf of CBOL and BioNET-INTERNATIONAL. The meeting organizers made special efforts to involve taxonomists and government policy-makers from all countries in the region.

Meeting Agenda, Presentations, and Rapporteur Reports
The meeting started with presentations by members of CBOL's Executive Committee and Scientific Advisory Board, followed by break-out discussion groups and then open discussion among all participants. Reports form the discussions have been prepared by rapporteurs and are linked to the agenda.

Images from the meeting