Scientific knowledge on the links between biodiversity, ecosystem services and human well-being has increased significantly since the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MAs) was completed.  There is however a need for a stronger international science-policy platform to enable emerging scientific knowledge to be translated into specific policy action at the appropriate levels.

The current science-policy interface for biodiversity and ecosystem services comprises a number of national and international programmes, organizations, mechanisms, and processes. The biodiversity and ecosystem-related multilateral environmental agreements, for example, contain provisions on scientific and technical cooperation. Their contribution to policy making at the appropriate levels could, however, be strengthened further if there was a mechanism that could provide a scientifically sound, uniform and consistent framework for tackling changes to biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Consultations towards an international mechanism for scientific expertise on biodiversity and the global strategy on Millennium Ecosystem Assessment follow-up both reflect a general agreement on the need for an intergovernmental science-policy platform on biodiversity and ecosystem services. This need was further strengthened by decision IX/15 of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which welcomed the agreement of the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to convene an ad hoc open-ended intergovernmental multi-stakeholder meeting to consider establishing an efficient science-policy interface on biodiversity, ecosystem services and human well-being. Parties were invited to ensure that appropriate science and policy experts were made available to attend, and also encouraged the participation of experts from various regions and disciplines.

Consequently, the 1st Ad Hoc Intergovernmental and Multi-Stakeholder meeting on an Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services was held in Putrajaya, Malaysia from 10-12 November 2008. The Putrajaya meeting generally agreed on the need to strengthen the science-policy interface, and recommended that the UNEP Executive Director should seek guidance from the UNEP Governing Council regarding a process for finding a best option to strengthen the science-policy interface.

The UNEP Governing Council at its twenty fifth session approved a decision 25/10, calling for UNEP to undertake a further process to explore ways and means to strengthen the science -policy interface. In response to this decision, UNEP invited Governments and organizations to participate in an open peer review of the preliminary gap analysis on existing interfaces on biodiversity and ecosystem services. These comments have been incorporated in finalizing the full gap analysis report.

The 2nd Ad Hoc Intergovernmental and Multi-Stakeholder meeting on an Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services took place from the 5-9 of October 2009 at the UNEP Headquarters in Nairobi. The main outcome of this meeting was a Chair’s summary, supported strongly by the participants calling for a third and final negotiation meeting to decide on whether to establish a new mechanism.

The eleventh special session of the UNEP Governing Council/ Global Ministerial Environment Forum was held in Bali, Indonesia, 24-26 February 2010, where the outcomes of the second ad hoc intergovernmental and multi-stakeholder meeting on IPBES were presented. Consequently, a decision on IPBES was adopted which endorses the Executive Director of UNEP to organize a final IPBES meeting.

Consequently, the 3rd IPBES meeting has been scheduled for 7-11 June 2010 in the Republic of Korea.