Notification 2019-067

Dear Madam/Sir, I would like to provide you with updates on the work of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and in particular draw your attention to recent notifications issued by IPBES providing opportunities to review draft assessments and to identify experts for future assessments. The seventh session of the Plenary of IPBES, held from 29 April to 4 May 2019 in Paris, France, approved the summary for policymakers of the global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services and accepted its individual chapters and their executive summaries. The global assessment and its approved summary for policymakers and the underlying chapters will be an important source of information for the fifth edition of the Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-5) and an important part of the evidence base for the development of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. They are available at: https://www.ipbes.net/global-assessment-biodiversity-ecosystem-services. The Plenary also adopted the IPBES rolling work programme up to 2030, which responds to a request from the Conference of the Parties through decision 14/36 (https://www.cbd.int/doc/decisions/cop-14/cop-14-dec-36-en.pdf). Based on the proposals from the Convention on Biological Diversity, the work programme includes the following deliverables which will support the implementation of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework: (a) A nexus assessment on biodiversity, water, food and health; (b) A technical paper on biodiversity and climate change; (c) An assessment on the determinants of transformative change; and (d) A methodological assessment on measuring business impact and dependence on biodiversity and nature's contributions to people. With respect to the nexus assessment on biodiversity, water, food and health, IPBES, through a notification (https://www.ipbes.net/notification/call-nominations-experts-assist-scoping-thematic-assessment-interlinkages-among), is inviting Governments and other stakeholders to nominate experts to assist with the scoping of this assessment. Nominated experts should have expertise in one or more disciplines within the natural science, social science or humanities, or in indigenous and local knowledge systems, or be policy experts or practitioners. The nomination of experts reflecting this broad range of expertise, particularly beyond the natural sciences, is encouraged. A similar call was issued, through a notification (https://www.ipbes.net/notification/call-nominations-experts-assist-scoping-thematic-assessment-underlying-causes), for the nomination of experts to assist with the scoping of the assessment on the determinants of transformative change. In addition, the first external review is now open for the chapters of the methodological assessment regarding the diverse conceptualization of multiple values of nature and its contributions, including biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services (see notification (https://www.ipbes.net/notification/first-external-review-now-open-ipbes-values-assessment)). The first external review of the chapters of the thematic assessment of the sustainable use of wild species will start in the end of August. Interested experts should respond directly to IPBES through the processes detailed in the notifications mentioned above. I also invite you to contact your respective IPBES National Focal Point (https://www.ipbes.net/national-focal-points) regarding any country-specific processes or deadlines. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points, Cartagena Protocol National Focal Points, ABS National Focal Points, indigenous peoples and local communities, relevant organizations