The WFCC is the main international body that coordinates the activities of culture collections around the world. Their activities include lobbying for support for collections, preventing the loss of collections, promoting the use of collections, and coordinating international regulations relating to the shipping and use of biological materials. The WFCC is a Multidisciplinary Commission of the
International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS) and a Federation within the
International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS). In 1977 the
WIPO established the
Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure. There are 42 International Depository Authorities worldwide where microorganisms may be deposited for patent purposes. The WFCC coordinates the International Congress of Culture Collections. The most recent meeting was the 13th International Conference on Culture Collections and it was held in Beijing, China. It was hosted by the Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IMCAS). The WFCC communicates via a regular newsletter. The WFCC works with the
OECD to promote Best Practice Guidelines for
Biological Resource Centers. Culture collections are key players in the preservation of micro-
biodiversity. On October 12, 2014, the
Nagoya Protocol under the
Convention on Biological Diversity entered into force. Members of WFCC are constantly improving their data management and policies to match the principles and rules set in the CBD and NP. These efforts started in 1999 by the publication of the MOSAICC Code of Conduct. It goes on with the TRUST initiative presented during the 1st Meeting of the Parties of the Nagoya Protocol. ==See also==