Invitation to observer organizations to the eleventh session of the Plenary of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES 11)

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Dear representatives of observer organizations and of other stakeholder organizations,

I have the honor to invite you to participate in the eleventh session of the Plenary of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES 11), which is planned to be held from 10 to 16 December 2024 in Mercure Hotel Windhoek, Corner of Auas, 9000 Aviation Road, Windhoek, Namibia. It will be possible for duly registered members of delegations to view the proceedings online. A Stakeholder Day will be organized on 9 December 2024. An invitation letter addressed to Governments has been sent and is available here.

The provisional agenda for the eleventh session of the Plenary is available on the IPBES website at https://www.ipbes.net/events/ipbes-11-plenary

Participation in IPBES 11 is open only to delegates that are officially nominated by their Governments or by organizations that have been accredited as observers to previous sessions of the Plenary (https://ipbes.net/accredited-organisations). Each nominated member of a delegation is required to complete the online registration form at https://www.ipbes.net/ipbes-11/registration as soon as possible, and no later than 30 September 2024. Individual registration is necessary for granting access to in-session documents and sharing meeting connection details. Please kindly note that an IPBES user account is required to complete the registration form. A user account can be created at https://ipbes.net/user/register. Considering visa processing time, and to ensure participation in the meeting, delegates who require entry visas to Namibia are strongly encouraged to upload their nomination letters and register as soon as possible. To determine whether you need a visa to travel to Namibia, please contact the Namibian consulate or embassy in your country or visit the website: https://namibian.org/namibia/travel-advice/visa. Please note that a visa may also be required for transit through some countries.

Please note that a separate registration is required for the Stakeholder Day at https://www.ipbes.net/ipbes-11/stakeholder-day/registration. Registration for the Stakeholder Day does not grant access to the eleventh session of the IPBES Plenary. Registration for the Stakeholder Day should be done by 10 November 2024.

Information for organizations seeking accreditation
Any body, organization or agency, whether national or international, governmental, intergovernmental or non-governmental, including organizations of and representatives of Indigenous peoples and local communities, which is qualified in matters covered by IPBES can apply to be admitted as observer. The Plenary will decide on the admission of new observers in accordance with the interim procedure described in paragraph 22 of the report of the first session of the Plenary (IPBES/1/12, available at https://ipbes.net/document-library-catalogue/ipbes112). To apply for admission as an observer, a representative of the body, organization or agency seeking accreditation is required to submit a formal letter, signed by the head of the organization, informing the IPBES secretariat of its wish to be represented at the eleventh session of the Plenary, and providing relevant information through the online application form available at https://www.ipbes.net/ipbes-11/accreditation by 6 p.m. Central European Summer Time on 2 September 2024.

The IPBES Bureau will communicate the list of new organizations which it recommends to the Plenary for admission as observers to the eleventh session of the Plenary by 16 September 2024. Delegations from organizations recommended for admission as observers can thereafter proceed to upload official communication containing the names of the members of their delegations at https://www.ipbes.net/ipbes-11/nomination-letters-and-credentials  and register at https://www.ipbes.net/ipbes-11/registration by 30 September 2024. Registration for the session will be confirmed by the secretariat after receipt of official communication.

I thank you again for your continued support of IPBES.

Yours sincerely,

Dr Anne Larigauderie | Executive Secretary
Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)