Extension of deadline: Call for nominations of experts to IPBES Task Forces

Dear IPBES members, observers and other interested stakeholders,

Please note that the deadline for experts to complete the application form has been extended until 19 November 2023, and the deadline for the nominators to support these applications has been extended until 26 November.

Following the successful conclusion of IPBES 10 and in line with decision IPBES-10/1 on the IPBES Rolling Work Programme up to 2030, I would like to invite Governments and other relevant stakeholders to nominate candidates for the following task forces. The term of office of the task force experts will end at IPBES 13 (tentatively scheduled for 2026):

1. A task force on capacity-building (see here for more information);
2. A task force on data and knowledge management (see here for more information);
3. A task force on Indigenous and local knowledge (see here for more information);
4. A task force on scenarios and models (see here for more information).

Nomination of experts
Nominated experts should have expertise specific to the task force to which they are being nominated – for example in the disciplines of natural science, social science, the humanities, or Indigenous and local knowledge systems. Nominated experts may be academics, policy experts and/or practitioners who come from qualified national, regional and international scientific organizations, centres of excellence and institutions. All nominees should have experience in working in interdisciplinary and/or global contexts. Governments and relevant stakeholders are invited to ensure gender balance in their nominations.

For the task force on capacity-building, nominees can include (a) representatives of qualified national, regional and international scientific and development organizations, centres of excellence and institutions, including experts on Indigenous and local knowledge, that are known for their work and expertise on issues related to the mandate of the task force and are existing or prospective partners or collaborative supporters in the capacity-building activities of IPBES; and (b) recognized individual experts, including Indigenous and local knowledge experts, in one or more of the following areas within the science-policy sphere for biodiversity and ecosystem services: stakeholder engagement, knowledge exchange, coordinating training and development activities, facilitating workshops, and catalysing financial and in-kind support.

For the task force on data and knowledge management, nominees can include (a) recognized individual experts on matters related to the mandate of the task force, including data experts from the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities and experts in qualitative and quantitative data analysis, as well as Indigenous and local knowledge experts; and (b) representatives of qualified national, regional and international scientific organizations, centres of excellence and institutions, including experts on Indigenous and local knowledge, known for their work and expertise on issues related to the mandate of the task force.

For the task force on Indigenous and local knowledge nominees can include (a) experts on Indigenous and local knowledge, in particular representing Indigenous Peoples and local communities; (b) representatives of qualified national, regional and international scientific organizations, centres of excellence and institutions, including experts on Indigenous and local knowledge, known for their work and expertise on issues related to the mandate of the task force; and (c) recognized individual experts on matters related to the mandate of the task force.

For the task force on scenarios and models, nominees should have expertise in qualitative and quantitative approaches to scenarios, models and other futures studies, including in discussing and testing the Nature Futures Framework, and should be able to effectively promote dialogue between the task force and the communities of practice on scenarios and models.

All nominated experts (Nominees) need to be available to attend the relevant task force meetings, the first of these expected to be held in-person in April or May 2024, and the following ones, online; and may be asked to participate in other IPBES meetings as described in the workplan of the respective task force.

All Governments and relevant organizations or institutions are encouraged to submit nominations. Nominating organizations or institutions are not required to have been admitted to the IPBES Plenary as an observer. Please help us to disseminate this call for nominations of experts widely to relevant institutions and organizations. 

Please follow the below procedure for nomination:

• Nominees are invited to fill out the application form and attach their curriculum vitae and any information regarding the organization they are representing, through the dedicated web portal at: 
  • For capacity-building: https://www.ipbes.net/application/capacity-building-task-forces-experts
  • For data and knowledge management: https://www.ipbes.net/application/knowledge-and-data-task-forces-experts
  • For Indigenous and local knowledge: https://www.ipbes.net/application/ILK-task-forces-experts
  • For scenarios and models: https://www.ipbes.net/application/scenarios-and-models-task-forces-experts
• The nominating Government or organization (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 nomination in the web portal.
• Nominators and Nominees will receive confirmation via email once the nomination has been submitted.

Experts interested in being nominated (Nominees) 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 no later than 19 November 2023.

Experts that are selected for a role within an IPBES task force accept the relevant conditions, including that time contributed to IPBES is committed on a pro-bono basis. Experts from developing countries will receive financial support to attend task force meetings and possibly other relevant meetings. Experts from developed countries are to secure their own funding to participate in the meetings.

Nominators (Governments or organizations) should submit the nominations of all Nominees, which they would like to support, before 26 November 2023. Early nominations ahead of this deadline are encouraged.

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

Yours sincerely,

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