IPBES Call for Nominations of Experts for various Deliverables - 2015

Go Back

1) A set of regional and sub-regional assessments of biodiversity and ecosystem services (Decision IPBES/3/1 Annex III), implementing work programme deliverable 2b, including for:

1. A regional and subregional assessment for the Americas region (Decision IPBES/3/1 Annex V), involving up to 100 experts, with a first authors meeting scheduled for 20 -24 July 2015;
2. A regional and subregional assessment for the Africa region (Decision IPBES/3/1 Annex IV), involving up to 100 experts, with a first authors meeting scheduled 3 -7 August 2015;
3. A regional and subregional assessment for the Asia and Pacific region (Decision IPBES/3/1 Annex VI), involving up to 100 experts, with a first authors meeting scheduled 17 -21 August 2015;
4. A regional and subregional assessment for Europe and Central Asia (Decision IPBES/3/1 Annex VII), involving up to 100 experts, with a first authors meeting scheduled 31 August - 4 September 2015.

2) A thematic assessment of land degradation and restoration, implementing work programme deliverable 3bi (Decision IPBES/3/1 Annex VIII), involving an expert group of up to 80 experts, with a first authors meeting scheduled 6 -10 July 2015; and

3) The scoping of a global assessment of biodiversity and ecosystem services for consideration by the Plenary at its 4th session, implementing work programme deliverable 2c, involving up to 20 experts. A scoping meeting is planned for 5 - 7 October 2015.

For an effective implementation of all of these three deliverables, it is critical to include a broad variety of experts from various natural and social scientific disciplines and from indigenous and local knowledge systems, as well as policy and technical experts and practitioners. Governments and organisations nominating experts are therefore encouraged to promote this multidisciplinary approach, which is fundamental to the success of IPBES.

The Plenary further requested to coordinate regional and subregional assessments with thematic assessments and with the global assessment process. In order to do so, the MEP, in consultation with the Bureau, has recommended that:

1. The expert group performing the global assessment scoping exercise include the co-chairs of all ongoing assessments as well as MEP and Bureau members;
2. About half of the experts selected for the land degradation and restoration assessment perform their work as part of the regional and sub-regional assessments contributing to both the regional and sub-regional assessment and the land degradation and restoration assessment;
3. Scoping for the assessments on invasive alien species (Deliverable 3bii) and on sustainable use of biodiversity (Deliverable 3biii) be performed by experts also involved in the regional and subregional assessments (Deliverable 2b); and that each one of the two scoping workshops be preceded by an open access web based consultation to increase input into the scoping workshop and process. Governments and organisations making nominations for regional and sub-regional assessments should therefore ensure that these nominations include experts on invasive alien species, and on sustainable use of biodiversity.

In line with the agreed procedures for the preparation of the Platform's deliverables, governments and organisations are invited to nominate experts to participate in the above-mentioned expert groups.

• 1. Nominees will be invited to fill out an application form and attach their curricula vitae through the dedicated web portal (http://www.ipbes.net/applicationform.html)
• 2. The application form will automatically be sent to the Nominating Government or Organisation (Nominator) indicated by the Nominee with an email which will provide a link to a nomination form inviting the Nominators to approve and submit their nominations.
• 3. Nominators and Nominees will receive an acknowledgement message once the nomination form confirming the nomination is submitted.

Interested experts (nominees) are requested to fill out their application form no later than 31 March 2015. Nominators (governments or organisations) should submit approved applications by 5 April 2015 at the latest. Earlier nominations are encouraged. All nominated individuals (nominees) should be requested to ensure that they are available on the above-indicated dates to participate in the relevant meetings. Experts interested in being nominated are encouraged to contact their IPBES National Focal Point or organisation contact point as they may be operating under their own timeline, within the IPBES process described here.

It is pleased to also inform that there will be soon a call for nominations for fellows to the IPBES Young Assessment Fellowship Programme, targeting young scholars who wish to gain experience by following the regional and sub-regional assessments (Africa, Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe and Central Asia) or the thematic assessment on land degradation and restoration.