Ecosystem Services latest developments

IPBES was established on 21st of April 2012 as an interface between the scientific community and policymakers. The ultimate goal of IPBES is to deliver legitimate, policy relevant but not policy prescriptive, scientifically credible assessments of scientific knowledge on biodiversity and ecosystem services to policy makers, in a timely manner, to support the development and implementation of effective and efficient policies related to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystem services. 

The Belgian Biodiversity Platform will integrate diverse types of relevant knowledge through an interdisciplinary and multi-sectorial approach.

Albeit that IPBES is now formally established, a number of outstanding issues remain to be resolved. Belgium and its partners in the EU are coordinating their position on these issues. These coordinated EU positions are prepared during informal consultation meetings of government representatives or experts. 

IPBES LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: 

The Second Plenary of IPBES (IPBES-2) took place in Antalya, Turkey from 9 to 14 December 2013. 

The major results of IPBES-2 were: 

Around 400 delegates from over 100 governments, scientific organizations, civil society and the private sector, attended the plenary.Concrete achievements included the adoption of the IPBES institutional arrangements between FAO, UNDP, UNEP and UNESCO; the IPBES conceptual framework; several items in the rules and procedures for the Platform’s operation (including the regional structure of the Multidisciplinary Expert Panel, and MEP member selection), and the work programme 2014-2018 including a fast-track thematic assessment on “Pollination and pollinators associated with food production”, and a fast-track methodological assessment on “Models and scenarios for biodiversity and ecosystem services”. The Plenary also approved the initiation of scoping for a methodological assessment on the “conceptualization of values of biodiversity and nature’s benefits to people and development of a preliminary guide”; a thematic assessment of “land degradation and restoration”; a thematic assessment of “invasive alien species”; and a thematic assessment of “sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity and strengthening capacities and tools”.

The IPBES Member Governments (currently 115) demonstrated strong commitment to its implementation by already pledging more than half (US$ 25.4 million) of the total US$ 43.5 million required for the implementation of its 2014-2018 work plan, in what will be remembered as the "Antalya consensus". Delegates, on the other hand, did not finalise the procedures for the preparation of the Platform’s deliverables, the Communication and Stakeholder Engagement Strategy, and Strategic Partnership Arrangement. Several issues in the Rules of Procedures also remain unresolved, such as the admission of observers. These issues will be addressed in the intersessional period and at IPBES-3, tentatively scheduled for January 2015 in Bonn, Germany.

French national, Anne Larigauderie, formerly Executive Director of DIVERSITAS and Head of Science in Society at the International Council for Science (ICSU) has been appointed as the Head of the IPBES Secretariat in Bonn, Germany. Read more

The First Plenary of IPBES (IPBES-1) took place in Bonn, Germany from 21 to 26 January 2013.

The major results of IPBES-1 were: 

• M. Zakri, Science Advisor to the Prime Minister of Malaysia and Chairman of the Malaysian Professors’s Council was elected as first Chair of the Platform, and Robert Watson as Vice-Chair for the first three-year term. Both are renowned for his extensive experience in biodiversity governance at the national and international levels. Western Europe and Other States will provide the next Chair.

• The election of the Bureau members, and Multidisciplinary Expert Panel (MEP; 25) for a three-year term. The link between the Bureau and the MEP was also thoroughly discussed to guarantee the independence of the MEP and for the MEP to focus on science leaving political considerations to the Bureau and Plenary.

• An agreement on steps toward the development of an initial IPBES work programme (2014-2018), the role of the MEP in the initial work programme, the procedure for receiving and prioritizing requests put to IPBES, and possible institutional arrangments for its implementation. The latter included further establishment of the link with the UN system. More specifically, it was decided that the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) will provide the Secretariat for the Platform, which will operate from Bonn in Germany. The Platform also requested UNEP, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to establish an institutional link with the Platform through a collaborative partnership arrangement for the work of IPBES and its Secretariat.

• The adoption of the draft decision on the status of contributions and initial budget for IPBES for 2013.

For more information on the process and possible involvement, please contact Dr Hilde Eggermont. 

(more information on MAES)