Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

IPBES.

The Intergovernmental science-policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is an independent intergovernmental body established to strengthen the science-policy interface for biodiversity and ecosystem services for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, long-term human well-being and sustainable development. It was established in Panama City, on 21 April 2012 by 94 governments.

All the member countries of the United Nations can join the platform and its Members are committed to building IPBES as the leading intergovernmental body for assessing the state of the planet’s biodiversity, its ecosystems and the essential services they provide to society.

The IPBES provides a mechanism recognized by both the scientific and policy communities to synthesize, review, assess and critically evaluate relevant information and knowledge generated worldwide by governments, academia, scientific organizations, non-governmental organizations as well as indigenouspeoples and local communities. This involves a credible group of experts in conducting assessments of such information and knowledge in a transparent way. IPBES is unique in that it will aim to strengthen capacity for the effective use of science in decision-making at all levels.

The IPBES will also aim to address the needs of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) that are related to biodiversity and ecosystem services: the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention (WHC), the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGR) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). IPBES will build on existing processes ensuring synergy and complementarities in each other’s work.[1]

The IPBES secretariat is based in Bonn, Germany.

Founding motive

Terrestrial, marine, coastal, and inland water ecosystems biodiversity provides the basis for ecosystems and the subsequent services they provide underpin human well-being. However, biodiversity and ecosystem services are declining at an unprecedented rate. In order to address this challenge, adequate local, national and international policies need to be adopted and implemented. To achieve this, decision makers need scientifically credible and independent information that takes into account the complex relationships between biodiversity, ecosystem services, and people. They also need effective methods to interpret the scientific information in order to make informed decisions. The scientific community also needs to understand the decision makers and their needs and driving forces in order to provide them with the relevant information.

In essence, the dialogue between the scientific community, governments, and other stakeholders on biodiversity and ecosystem services needs to be strengthened.

History

Specific discussions on IPBES started following the final meeting of the multi-stakeholder international steering committee for the consultative process on an International Mechanism of Scientific Expertise on Biodiversity (IMoSEB) in November 2007.

The consultation towards IMoSEB decided to invite the Executive Director of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) - in collaboration with governments and other partners - to convene an intergovernmental and multi-stakeholder meeting to consider the establishment of an intergovernmental mechanism for biodiversity and ecosystem services. There was also consensus among the stakeholders involved in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) follow-up initiative that the follow up to the IMoSEB process and the MA follow-up process should merge. It was the coming together of the MA follow up process with the follow up to the IMoSEB consultations that led to the process on IPBES. Three intergovernmental and multi-stakeholder meetings (Malaysia 2008, Kenya 2009, Republic of Korea 2010) were held to discuss ways to strengthen the science-policy interface on biodiversity and ecosystem services. At the first two meetings, the gaps and needs for strengthening the science policy interface were identified, and at the meeting in June 2010, in Busan, Republic of Korea, governments decided that an Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) should be established in addition to agreement on the broad areas of its work programme, and on many of the principles of its operation as part of the Busan Outcome.

The Busan Outcome was welcomed by the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Nagoya in October 2010, and was subsequently considered at the 65th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). UNGA passed a resolution requesting UNEP to convene a plenary meeting to fully operationalize IPBES at the earliest opportunity. This resolution was then taken on board by UNEP in a decision at the 26th session of the UNEP Governing Council meeting, held in February 2011.

The plenary meeting was held in two sessions. The first session was held from 3 to 7 October 2011 in Nairobi. The second session of the plenary was hosted by UNEP, in collaboration with UNESCO, FAO and UNDP, in Panama City from 16 to 21 April 2012. There, many of the modalities and institutional arrangements for the Platform were finalized and 94 Governments adopted a resolution establishing the Platform as an independent intergovernmental body.

The first meeting of the Platform's Plenary (IPBES-1) was held in Bonn, Germany from 21 to 26 January 2013, hosted by the government of Germany. The final outcome document of this session is available as IPBES/1/12. This includes decisions on the next steps for the development of an initial work programme, the status of contributions and initial budget for the platform for the year 2012, the IPBES administrative and institutional arrangements, and the procedure for receiving and prioritizing requests put to the Platform. In addition the report includes the updated rules of procedure for the plenary of the platform.

The second meeting of the Platform's Plenary (IPBES-2) was held in Antalya, Turkey, from 9–14 December 2013, hosted by the government of Turkey. The Platform's Plenary adopted the Conceptual Framework of IPBES and established a task force on capacity building, a task force on knowledge and data and a task force on indigenous and local knowledge. It also approved the Platform's first work programme (2014-2018) and agreed to develop a set of assessments on pollination and food production, land degradation and invasive species aimed at providing policymakers with the tools to tackle pressing environmental challenges.

The third meeting of the Platform's Plenary (IPBES-3) was held in Bonn, Germany from 12–17 January 2015. The Platform's Plenary agreed to initiate a set of regional assessments in Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, and Europe and Central Asia. These assessments will be a vital contribution for a planned global assessment to be completed by 2019. Furthermore, IPBES Member States present at the meeting adopted a conflict of interest policy and a stakeholder engagement strategy that will support the implementation of the Platform’s work programme and approved the guidance on strategic partnerships and other collaborative arrangements.

Functions

As stated in the IPBES-2 meeting report (IPBES/2/17), the agreed functions of the Platform are: (a) To identify and prioritize key scientific information needed for policymakers on appropriate scales and to catalyse efforts to generate new knowledge by engaging in dialogue with key scientific organizations, policymakers and funding organizations, but not to directly undertake new research; (b) To perform regular and timely assessments of knowledge on biodiversity and ecosystem services and their interlinkages, which should include comprehensive global, regional and, as necessary, subregional assessments and thematic issues at appropriate scales and new topics identified by science and as decided upon by the Plenary; (c) To support policy formulation and implementation by identifying policy-relevant tools and methodologies to enable decision makers to gain access to those tools and methodologies and, where necessary, to promote and catalyse their further development; (d) To prioritize key capacity-building needs to improve the science-policy interface at appropriate levels and then provide and call for financial and other support for the highest-priority needs related directly to its activities, as decided by the Plenary, and to catalyse financing for such capacity-building activities by providing a forum with conventional and potential sources of funding.

Operations

Work Programme 2014 - 2018

As mentioned in the meeting report of IPBES-2 (IPBES/2/17), the Platform's objectives and associated deliverables are:

Objective 1: Strengthen the capacity and knowledge foundations of the science-policy interface to implement key functions of the Platform: (a) Priority capacity-building needs to implement the Platform’s work programme matched with resources through catalysing financial and in-kind support (b) Capacities needed to implement the Platform work programme developed (c) Procedures, approaches for participatory processes for working with indigenous and local knowledge systems developed (d) Priority knowledge and data needs for policymaking addressed through catalysing efforts to generate new knowledge and networking

Objective 2: Strengthen the science-policy interface on biodiversity and ecosystem services at and across subregional, regional and global levels: (a) Guide on production and integration of assessments from and across all scales (b) Regional/subregional assessments on biodiversity, ecosystem services (c) Global assessment on biodiversity and ecosystem services

Objective 3: Strengthen the science-policy interface on biodiversity and ecosystem services with regard to thematic and methodological issues: (a) One fast-track thematic assessment of pollinators, pollination and food production (b) Three thematic assessments: land degradation and restoration; invasive alien species; and sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity and strengthening capacities/tools (c) Policy support tools and methodologies for scenario analysis and modelling of biodiversity and ecosystem services based on a fast-track assessment and a guide (d) Policy support tools and methodologies regarding the diverse conceptualization of values of biodiversity and nature’s benefits to people including ecosystem services based on an assessment and a guide

Objective 4: Communicate and evaluate Platform activities, deliverables and findings: (a) Catalogue of relevant assessments (b) Development of an information and data management plan (c) Catalogue of policy support tools and methodologies (d) Set of communication, outreach and engagement strategies, products and processes (e) Reviews of the effectiveness of guidance, procedures, methods and approaches to inform future development of the Platform

Structure

Operating principles

It was agreed at the Panama meeting that in carrying out its work the Platform will be guided by the following operating principles:

  1. Collaborate with existing initiatives on biodiversity and ecosystem services, including multilateral environment agreements, United Nations bodies and networks of scientists and knowledge holders, to fill gaps and build upon their work while avoiding duplication;
  2. Be scientifically independent and ensure credibility, relevance and legitimacy through peer review of its work and transparency in its decision-making processes;
  3. Use clear, transparent and scientifically credible processes for the exchange, sharing and use of data, information and technologies from all relevant sources, including non-peer-reviewed literature, as appropriate;
  4. Recognize and respect the contribution of indigenous and local knowledge to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystems;
  5. Provide policy-relevant information, but not policy-prescriptive advice, mindful of the respective mandates of the multilateral environmental agreements;
  6. Integrate capacity-building into all relevant aspects of its work according to priorities decided by the Plenary;
  7. Recognize the unique biodiversity and scientific knowledge thereof within and among regions and the need for the full and effective participation of developing countries and balanced regional representation and participation in its structure and work;
  8. Take an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach that incorporates all relevant disciplines, including social and natural sciences;
  9. Recognize the need for gender equity in all relevant aspects of its work;
  10. Address terrestrial, marine and inland water biodiversity and ecosystem services and their interactions;
  11. Ensure the full use of national, subregional and regional assessments and knowledge, as appropriate, including by ensuring a bottom-up approach.

It was also agreed that the Platform’s efficiency and effectiveness will be independently reviewed and evaluated on a periodic basis as decided by the Plenary, with adjustments to be made as necessary.

Funding

It has been agreed that a core trust fund to be allocated by the Plenary will be established to receive voluntary contributions from governments, as well as from United Nations bodies, the Global Environment Facility, other intergovernmental organizations and other stakeholders such as the private sector and foundations, on the understanding that such funding will come without conditionalities, will not orient the work of the Platform and cannot be earmarked for specific activities. Its use will be determined by the Plenary in an open and transparent manner. Specific requirements for governing the trust fund will be specified in financial rules and procedures to be adopted by the Plenary. Exceptionally, subject to approval by the Plenary, additional voluntary contributions may be accepted outside the trust fund, such as direct support for specific activities of the Platform’s work programme. In kind contributions will come without conditionalities from Governments, the scientific community, other knowledge holders and stakeholders and will be key to the success of the implementation of the work programme.

Location

On 19 April 2012, member states in attendance at the Panama meeting voted that the seat of the secretariat of the platform would be located in Bonn, Germany.

Members of the Platform as of October 2015[2]

Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Andorra
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belgium
Benin
Bhutan
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Costa Rica
Cote d'Ivoire
Croatia
Cuba
Czech Republic
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Denmark
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Ethiopia
Fiji
Finland
France
Gabon
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Grenada
Guatemala
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Honduras
Hungary
India
Indonesia
Iraq
Ireland
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Israel
Japan
Kenya
Kyrgyzstan
Republic of Korea
Latvia
Liberia
Libya
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Mauritania
Mexico
Monaco
Montenegro
Morocco
Republic of Moldova
Netherlands
Nepal
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Norway
Pakistan
Panama
Peru
Philippines
Portugal
Russian Federation
Saint Lucia
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Slovakia
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
St. Kitts and Nevis
Sudan
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Tajikistan
Thailand
Togo
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
United Republic of Tanzania
Uganda
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United States of America
Uruguay
Viet Nam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

Related decisions and resolutions

Critics

See also

References

  1. ↑ IPBES Website
  2. ↑ http://www.ipbes.net/index.php/about-ipbes/members-of-the-platform
  3. ↑ Turnhout, E., Bloomfield, B., Hulme, M., Vogel, J., & Wynne, B. (2012). Conservation policy: Listen to the voices of experience, Nature, 488(7412), pp. 454-455. doi:10.1038/488454a

Bibliography

External links


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