Notification 2020-044

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. The Plenary of IPBES, at its seventh session held from 29 April to 4 May 2019 in Paris, France, adopted a new work programme, “the IPBES rolling work programme up to 2030”, which responds, among others, 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). The work programme includes, in particular, the following deliverables which will support the implementation of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework: (a) A nexus assessment (thematic assessment of the interlinkages among biodiversity, water, food and health in the context of climate change); (b) A technical paper on biodiversity and climate change; (c) A transformative change assessment (thematic assessment of the underlying causes of biodiversity loss, determinants of transformative change and options for achieving the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity); (d) A business and biodiversity assessment (methodological assessment on measuring business impact and dependence on biodiversity and nature's contributions to people). With regard to the nexus assessment, the draft scoping report for the assessment is currently open for external review until 31 July 2020. The aim of this review is to increase the policy relevance of this scoping report by engaging Governments and stakeholders early in the process of defining the policy questions that this assessment will address. Those interested in reviewing the draft are invited to register here (https://ipbes.net/nexus/scoping-document-registration) and access the document together with instructions on how to submit comments. The IPBES Multidisciplinary Expert Panel (MEP) and Bureau also decided to hold a virtual workshop on biodiversity and pandemics in the context of the scoping process for the nexus assessment, in the week of 27-31 July 2020. The workshop will comprise about 20 experts, which are being selected by the MEP based on the call for nominations that closed earlier in June. Further information on the workshop is available here (https://ipbes.net/pandemics-workshop). With respect to the transformative change assessment, the draft scoping report for the assessment will be open for external review between 3 July and 28 August 2020. Those interested in reviewing the draft are invited to register here (https://ipbes.net/transformative-change/scoping-document-registration). In the context of IPBES work on capacity-building and in order to support IPBES national focal points in reviewing and submitting comments on the draft scoping reports of the nexus and transformative change assessment, a virtual dialogue meeting for IPBES national focal points will be organized from 6 to 10 July 2020. Please see the notification issued by IPBES on this matter here (https://ipbes.net/sites/default/files/2020-06/em_2020_17_nfp_meeting_en.pdf) for further information. A webinar for stakeholders and a dialogue workshop in the context of the IPBES approach to recognizing and working with indigenous and local knowledge will also be organized during the review period of the draft scoping reports. With regard to the work on biodiversity and climate change, an IPCC/IPBES co-sponsored workshop on biodiversity and climate change was planned to be held from 12 to 14 May 2020 in London, UK, hosted by the UK Government with additional sponsorship by the Government of Norway. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the workshop had to be delayed. Information on a new date will be provided as soon as possible. More information on the workshop is available here (https://ipbes.net/ipcc-ipbes-workshop). A call for nominations for experts to assist with the scoping of the business and biodiversity assessment is expected to be launched by IPBES in September/October 2020. In terms of the three ongoing IPBES assessments (assessment of the sustainable use of wild species; assessment on values; assessment of invasive alien species), the following opportunities for engagement are ongoing or upcoming: - Call for contributions on indigenous and local knowledge relating to the three ongoing assessments. For further information, please see the notification issued by IPBES here (https://ipbes.net/sites/default/files/2020-06/EM_2020_15_ILK-call-contributions_en.pdf); - Review of the first order draft of the chapters of the assessment of invasive alien species in September/October 2020; - Review of the second order draft of the chapters and first order draft of the summaries for policymakers of the assessments of the sustainable use of wild species and on values in December 2020/January 2021. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points, SBSTTA Focal Points, indigenous peoples and local communities and relevant organizations