Invitation to the eighth session of IPBES Plenary (#IPBES8) - Members, Observers and Stakeholders

Dear IPBES Members, observers and stakeholders,

I have the honour to invite you to participate in the eighth session of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Plenary, to take place online from 14 to 24 June 2021.

Regional consultations are planned to be organized online between 7 and 11 June 2021. Stakeholder Days will be held between 3 and 9 June 2021 to accommodate the virtual format and different time zones. The eighth session of the Plenary will be opened on Monday, 14 June 2021, at 1 p.m. Central European Time (CET). The session is scheduled to close on Thursday, 24 June 2021. An invitation letter has also been sent by the Secretary of Governing Bodies, United Nations Environment Programme, to all Ministers for Environment of all States Members of the United Nations or Members of specialized agencies or of the International Atomic Energy Agency, to all Permanent Representatives to the United Nations Environment Programme, as well as to the Permanent missions to the United Nations.

The provisional agenda for the eighth session of the Plenary is available on the IPBES website (https://www.ipbes.net/event/ipbes-8-plenary). At this important session, the Plenary will be invited to consider for approval the scoping report for a thematic assessment of the interlinkages among biodiversity, water, food and health in the context of climate change (nexus assessment) and a thematic assessment of the underlying causes of biodiversity loss and the determinants of transformative change and options for achieving the 2050 vision for biodiversity (transformative change assessment). The Plenary will also consider for approval interim work plans of IPBES task forces for the intersessional period 2021–2022. It will also consider financial and budgetary arrangements. An information note concerning all the necessary arrangements, along with the other official documents of the meeting, will be posted on the IPBES website as they become available.

For the purpose of making preparatory arrangements for the session, it would be greatly appreciated if you would kindly complete the online registration form (https://ipbes.net/ipbes-8/registration) as soon as possible, and no later than 17 May 2021. Please note that registration for Stakeholder Days is separate. To register to join the Stakeholder Days please use this dedicated form: https://ipbes.net/ipbes-8/stakeholderdays/registration. Please note that registration for Stakeholder Days does not grant access to the eighth session of the IPBES Plenary.   

In line with the Rules of procedure for sessions of the IPBES Plenary, and practice at previous sessions, each member is required to submit official credentials of its representatives, together with the names of alternate representatives and advisers, to the IPBES secretariat. The credentials must be issued either by the Head of State or Government or by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, consistent with each country’s policy and law. A scanned copy of the credentials, as well as other communications containing the names of representatives to the eighth session of the IPBES (such as letters and notes verbales) should be submitted by one member of the delegation, by 9 June 2021, through the online platform, https://ipbes.net/ipbes-8/nomination-letters-and-credentials. While the original hard copy of the credentials should normally be submitted to the IPBES secretariat, as the eighth session of the Plenary is being held virtually, the IPBES secretariat is unable to receive the original hard copies until further notice.

If not already done, all members are also requested to designate a national focal point responsible for liaising with the IPBES secretariat, by submitting a nomination letter accompanied by the completed designation form available at https://ipbes.net/sites/default/files/2020-02/IPBES_NFP_designation_form.pdf to the IPBES secretariat ([email protected]). The list of national focal points is available at https://ipbes.net/national-focal-points.

Participation by observers (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 the Platform) in the session of the Plenary requires their admission by the Plenary. Observers admitted to a previous session of the Plenary (https://ipbes.net/accredited-organisations) will be admitted to the eighth session of the Plenary.

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). To apply for admission as an observer, a body, organization or agency, which is qualified in matters covered by IPBES, 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 eighth session of the Plenary, and provide further information through the online accreditation form by 6 p.m. Central European Time on 2 April 2021. To obtain a link to the online form, representatives from organizations that are not yet admitted are invited to complete the online registration form at: https://ipbes.net/ipbes-8/registration.

In closing, I would also like to invite any Government in a position to do so, to consider hosting the ninth session of the Plenary, scheduled to take place in April 2022. Governments interested in hosting the ninth session of the Plenary, are invited to send an email to: [email protected].

I thank you again for your continued support of IPBES.

Yours sincerely,

Dr. Anne Larigauderie | Executive Secretary