Exciting news from IPBES! A call is out for experts to contribute to the methodological assessment of monitoring biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people. This is our chance to actively support global biodiversity goals and make a meaningful impact.
The objective of the monitoring assessment is to support national and global efforts to (a) monitor biodiversity, nature’s contributions to people and the direct and underlying causes of the observed changes; and (b) specifically monitor progress towards the goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in support of a balanced and enhanced implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The assessment will also contribute to the monitoring of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals and other relevant multilateral environmental agreements, processes and efforts.
Under decision IPBES-10/1 and the procedures for the preparation of IPBES deliverables, the Multidisciplinary Expert Panel herewith invites Governments and other relevant stakeholders to nominate experts to participate in the monitoring assessment.
The assessment will be conducted in line with the procedures for IPBES deliverables set out in decision IPBES-3/3, annexe I (available here) and based on the scoping report for the assessment (available here).
IPBES is seeking experts and practitioners from academia, government, and civil society with expertise in:
- A range of disciplines, including but not limited to, ecology, evolution, social science, economics, statistics and biodiversity modelling;
- Monitoring biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems;
- The use of in-situ and remote sensing measurements, community-based monitoring and citizen science;
- Diverse and new technologies for estimating and monitoring biodiversity, such as environmental DNA, ecological acoustics, camera traps, hyperspectral imagery and artificial intelligence;
- National and subnational monitoring programmes and systems (including those led by Indigenous Peoples and local communities), global observing systems, and citizen science initiatives;
- Indicators and the use of indicators in policy and decision-making;
- Institutional and financial requirements to strengthen monitoring systems.
Governments and relevant stakeholders are invited to ensure gender balance in their nominations.
All nominated experts (Nominees) need to be available to attend the relevant author meetings, with the first author meeting tentatively scheduled for October 2024.
All Governments and relevant organisations or institutions are encouraged to submit nominations. Nominating organisations or institutions are not required to have been admitted to the Plenary of IPBES as an observer.
Please follow the below procedure for nomination:
- Nominees are invited to complete the application form and attach their curriculum vitae through the dedicated web portal at https://www.ipbes.net/application/monitoring-assessment-experts (to access this page you will need to log in with your IPBES website login credentials. Nominees not yet registered on the IPBES website will need to do so at https://ipbes.net/user/register). Please note that both the nomination form and applications must be in English, as the assessment process will be conducted in English;
- The nominating government or organisation (Nominator) indicated by the Nominee will receive an email with a link to the nomination form and will be invited to approve and submit the nominations in the web portal;
- Nominators and Nominees will receive confirmation via email once the nomination has been submitted.
Experts wishing to be nominated by a Government are encouraged to contact their IPBES National Focal Point (https://www.ipbes.net/national-focal-points) regarding any country-specific processes or deadlines and are requested to fill out their application form by 19 December 2023. Interested experts are highly encouraged to review the information document summarising IPBES assessment conditions and roles before submitting their application (link).
Experts who are selected for a role within an IPBES assessment accept the relevant conditions for the assessment, including that the time contributed to IPBES is committed on a pro-bono basis. Experts from developing countries will receive support to attend author meetings and possibly other relevant meetings. Experts from developed countries are to secure their own funding to participate in the meetings.
Nominators (Governments or organisations) should submit the nominations of all Nominees, that they would like to support, before 6 January 2024. Early nominations ahead of this deadline are encouraged.
In behalf of Dr Anne Larigauderie | Executive Secretary
Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)