The 12th Plenary Session of the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) of FAO was held in Rome, Italy, the headquarters of the FAO, from June 3 to 5, 2024, with the participation of representatives of all GSP member countries and organizations. At the invitation of Mr. Lifeng Li, Director Land and Water Resources Division, FAO, and Secretary-General, GSP, and on the commission of Prof. Duihu Ning, President of WASWAC, and its former President, Prof. Rui Li, and Prof. Jose Luis Rubio, former Vice-President, attended the meeting on behalf of the Association.

The Association's representatives, Prof. Rui Li and Prof. Jose Luis Rubio, participated in the meeting

During the discussion session on major issues, the Association proposed the establishment of International Network on Soil and Water Conservation (INSWC) at GSP.

The proposal was supported by Morocco, the United States of America and others, and it was recorded on the floor that the proposal for the establishment of International Network on Soil and Water Conservation was noted as being clarity and characteristic, and differentiated from existing soil-related efforts. 

After the meeting, the relevant person in charge of the GSP Secretariat exclusively communicated with the representatives of the Association and made it clear that the proposal for the establishment of International Network on Soil and Water Conservation should be taken forward in concrete terms in accordance with the relevant procedures after being discussed at this meeting.

Prof. Jose Luis Rubio, on behalf of the Association, proposed the establishment of International Network on Soil and Water Conservation

Prof. Rui Li participates in the discussion of the conference

The establishment of the network will further deepen the ties between the society and FAO, play a greater role in protecting soil resources, maintaining ecological safety and food safety, and sustaining the healthy development of the community of human destiny, serve China’s high level of opening up to the outside world, and jointly push forward the scientific progress in the field of soil and water conservation and ecological environment in the world. 

The Global Soil Partnership (GSP) is a mechanism established by FAO in December 2012 to strengthen cooperation among stakeholders in order to enhance soil governance and promote sustainable soil management, organized by the FAO Secretariat at FAO headquarters. To date, the GSP has established seven technical networks: International Network of Soil Pollution, International Network on Soil Fertility and Fertilizers, International Network of Salt-affected Soils, International Network of Black Soils, Global Soil Laboratory Network and International Network of soil Information Institutions, a great deal of work has been done in the establishment of the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils, the publication of the Global Status Report on Soil Resources, and the promotion of the development of digital soil maps for developing countries, which has become an important platform for discussing and solving global soil issues. The International Network on Soil and Water Conservation, proposed by WASWAC, which is affiliated to IRTCES, is the eighth technical network of GSP.