Luc Janssens de Bisthoven
Coordinator
CEBioS
Biodiversity Newsflash 80 - June 2018. Access the full newsflash here.
- Could you describe CEBioS?
CEBioS (Capacities for Biodiversity and Sustainable Development) is a programme of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), funded by the Belgian Cooperation for Development (DGD). It is an essential part of the cooperation to mainstream biodiversity in developing countries. It is a performing programme which supports partner countries to meet the Aichi targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) strategy 2020 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDGs 14 (life in water) and 15 (life on earth), linked to the other SDGs related to poverty alleviation and food security. Based at RBINS, we mobilise existing biodiversity expertise at the institute towards development aims.
- Based on the current landscape of research on biodiversity in Belgium, what do you think is the added value of the Belgian Biodiversity Platform for the research community at large and for a programme such as CEBioS?
I have always admired the professionalism of the Belgian Biodiversity Platform. I am convinced that it is a an essential building stone in the Belgian biodiversity landscape, as it offers the much needed bridge between science and policy / society. CEBioS is a natural partner of the Belgian Biodiversity Platform and often participates in activities of the Platform, for instance in the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) assignments related to capacity building or reviews, or in the Community of Practice on Biodiversity & Health. Both are very important in the development context and our people search for expertise and inspiration at such events or activities.
- In an ideal world, how would you see the collaboration between the Platform and CEBioS; and between the Platform and the research community at large
The Platform and CEBioS are both part of BIOPOLS, the science policy interface group of the OD Nature of RBINS. Both are often in the same working groups or national delegations and translate biodiversity science towards society and learn continuously from each other for methodological, communication and strategic aspects. My wish is that this cooperation continues to be strengthened and that we can rally other actors around biodiversity and development in a continuous dialogue and openness. As a small and complicated country, we are only strong and visible if we all work together.