 |
| UNEP in Nairobi (Kenya), venue of the meeting |
The first session of a plenary meeting on the means for bringing into operation an intergovernmental science-policy platform on biodiversity and ecosystem services (IPBES) was organized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi, Kenya from 3 to 7 October 2011.
A representative of the CITES Secretariat was able to participate in the meeting thanks to external funding provided by UNEP. The Vice-chair of the CITES Plants Committee participated in the meeting as a member of the Mexican delegation.
CITES-related input was provided at various points during the meeting to ensure that the role of CITES received due recognition, as envisaged under Decision 15.12 of the Conference of the Parties. In particular, attention was drawn to the science-policy interface which already exists and operates on a regular basis between the CITES Scientific Authority and CITES Management Authority in each Party. The decision on IPBES adopted at the 61st meeting of the CITES Standing Committee (Geneva, August 2011), which highlights the need to provide capacity building support to both Scientific and Management Authorities from developing countries, was also circulated as an information document.
A joint statement, developed by members of the MEAs secretariats and chairs of scientific advisory bodies which attended the IPBES meeting, was also made on behalf of CITES, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention on Migratory Species, the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources in Food and Agriculture, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and the World Heritage Convention. It noted the importance of IPBES to the work of the conventions as well as the potential contributions of the conventions to the work of IPBES.
For more information on the meeting go to: http://ipbes.net
See also: Interview on IPBES with CITES Secretary-General, John E. Scanlon