The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) will circulate the draft chapters of its global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services for first review by experts, for a period of eight weeks, from 15 June – 15 August, 2017.
The assessment will be the first global snapshot of the state of the world’s biodiversity in over a decade since the release of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. The global assessment will provide decision-makers with the state of knowledge regarding the planet's biodiversity, ecosystems and the benefits they provide to people, as well as the options to protect and use these natural assets more sustainably. Furthermore, the global assessment will provide vital data for the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
One of the most important phases in drafting any assessment report is the period in which it is opened for external review by any interested experts including, among others, scientists, decision-makers, practitioners and the holders of indigenous and local knowledge.
The widest-possible participation and most diverse engagement of experts in this first external review is vital to strengthen the credibility, legitimacy and policy relevance of the global assessment.
Steps to become an external expert reviewer will be specified in detail at a later stage. They will involve registering as a user of the IPBES website, applying to become an external expert reviewer for individual chapters of the global assessment, obtaining confidential access to the draft chapters, and submitting comments in English on a template.
IPBES is placed under the auspices of four United Nations entities: UNEP, UNESCO, FAO and UNDP and administered by UNEP. Its secretariat is hosted by the German government and located on the UN campus, in Bonn, Germany. One thousand scientists from all over the world currently contribute to the work of IPBES on a voluntary basis. They are nominated by their government or an organization, and selected by the MEP. Peer review forms a key component of the work of IPBES to ensure that a range of views is reflected in its work, and that the work is complete to the highest scientific standards. Learn more, click here.
