Members and Observers

IPBES was established in 2012 by more than 100 governments, and its membership has continued to grow as IPBES' impact has increased.

Members

Who can become a member?
All States Members of the United Nations are eligible for IPBES membership.

Why become a member?
To strengthen knowledge foundations for better policy through science, for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, long-term human well-being and sustainable development.

How to become a member?
Should your Government wish to join IPBES, all that is required is for this intention to be officially communicated to the IPBES secretariat, by way of a formal letter, issued by or on behalf of the authority that would normally issue credentials for your national delegation to participate in a session of the IPBES Plenary, in other words by your Head of State or Government or minister for foreign affairs, consistent with your national policies and law.

Observers

All States Members of the United Nations that are not members of IPBES (listed as Observer States in the table below), conventions, multilateral organizations, United Nations bodies and specialized agencies and other organizations that have been approved as observers at the previous sessions. The list of Observer organisations is available here