IPBES stands for ‘Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services’ and it is expected to become the new interface between the scientific community and policy makers.
The aim of the Platform is to build capacity for and
strengthen the use of science in decision making within a range of policy fora, such as the global environmental conventions and development policy dialogues.
The second
session of the IPBES plenary meeting was held in Panama City, Panama
during April 15-21, 2012. More than 90 countries were represented including
four (4) CARICOM Member States. Trinidad and Tobago was represented by
Dr Floyd Homer, Biodiversity Specialist at the Multilateral Environmental
Agreements Unit of the Ministry of
Housing and the Environment.
The meeting focused
mainly on the modalities and institutional arrangements for establishing an IPBES,
which led to the election of Germany as the host country for headquarters for the IPBES Secretariat. Several issues, however, remained outstanding
at the end of the meeting including the budget, legal framework for the IPBES
and some rules of procedures. UNEP will serve as the interim
Secretariat to organize the first official IPBES meeting.
Further
information on IPBES is available at http://www.ipbes.net.
