Call for offers to host the technical support unit business and biodiversity assessment

Dear IPBES members, observers and other interested stakeholders,

The Plenary, at its ninth session, held from 3 to 9 July 2022, approved the undertaking, for consideration by the Plenary at IPBES 12 (decision IPBES-9/1), of a methodological assessment of the impact and dependence of business on biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people (“business and biodiversity assessment”).

In the same decision, the Plenary requested the secretariat, in consultation with the Bureau and in accordance with the approved budget set out in the annex to decision IPBES-9/3, to establish the institutional arrangements necessary to implement the technical support required for the work programme.

I am pleased to herewith invite Governments and relevant organizations or institutions to submit to the secretariat their offers to host the technical support unit for the business and biodiversity assessment.

As stated in the rolling work programme up to 2030 of IPBES, technical support for the implementation of the work programme is provided by the secretariat and, for some of the objectives, complemented by a technical support unit, as appropriate. The secretariat issues open calls for expressions of interest in providing technical support, including in-kind support from Governments and other stakeholders, for the establishment of these units. The most suitable institutions will be selected by the Bureau and will work under the authority of the Executive Secretary (see annex I to decision IPBES-7/1).

Interested Governments or organizations are invited to submit their offer prepared according to the template provided here and to attach the filled-out application form provided here to the secretariat at [email protected] by Friday, 16 September 2022.

The offer should include specific information regarding:

• Relevance of the work of the host institution to the business and biodiversity assessment;
• Administration and staffing of the technical support unit;
• Funding arrangements, including a budget detailing how the dedicated funds from the IPBES trust fund and the matching in-kind contribution from the host institution would be used.

The host organization of the technical support unit for the business and biodiversity assessment will be selected by the IPBES Bureau at its 19th meeting (27-29 September 2022), and institutional arrangements subsequently put in place in line with agreed procedures.

I thank you in advance for your continued support to IPBES.

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