Nominations open for IPBES expert groups

JNCC is currently seeking nominations from experts to scope future deliverables of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service’s (IPBES) 4-year work plan.

IPBES aims to help decision makers around the world identify solutions to pressures on global ecosystems and loss of biodiversity, thereby securing long term human wellbeing and sustainable development. Through networks of experts, the platform aims to provide an evidence and knowledge base to assist with decision making across the world.

Following the development of a 2014-2018 work programme in December 2013, the platform issued a call for experts in April to help scope particular aspects of this plan. Nominations will be accepted from governments and stakeholders, with expert nominations assessed by a Multidisciplinary Expert Panel.

The UK government will be the main organisation in the UK putting forward experts to the IPBES Panel for selection. JNCC are currently looking for nominations from experts in the areas of the IPBES work plan outlined below:

• Deliverable 2b: Five regional expert groups to scope a set of regional and sub-regional assessments, for consideration by the IPBES Plenary in January 2015:

i.        Expert group for Africa
ii.       Expert group for Asia and Pacific
iii.      Expert group for the Americas and the Caribbean
iv.       Expert group for Europe and Central Asia
v.        Expert group for Antarctica

To promote integration across regions it is anticipated that a joint meeting of all these regional experts would take place at a single location (tentatively set in Nairobi) on 17-23 August 2014, including 2 days dedicated to capacity building.

• Deliverable 3bi: Expert group to scope a thematic assessment of land degradation and restoration for consideration by the IPBES Plenary in January 2015.

A scoping meeting is anticipated in the week commencing 8 September 2014; it is expected 35 global experts to be selected to participate.

Further information on the deliverables is available in the meeting report of the Second IPBES plenary.

Nominations will be assessed by an independent sift panel, which will recommend a final list of nominations for JNCC to support.  Please see the information pack for details about selection criteria, eligibility, and how to put yourself forward. The nomination deadline is Sunday 8 June.