Highlights and images for 10 March 2017

Germany

Summary

IPBES-5 convened for its final day in Bonn, Germany. After a brief stocktaking plenary in the morning, the contact groups reconvened to resume their deliberations.

Contact Group I concluded discussions on ILK based on agreement reached during informal consultations in the morning, and resolved outstanding issues in the draft decision on the review of the Platform. The group then discussed and approved draft decisions on enhanced participation of EU in IPBES Plenary sessions, and on replacing the term “benefits” with “nature’s contributions to people” in the IPBES conceptual framework.

Contact Group II discussed and approved a decision on pending assessments.

In plenary, the Co-Chairs of the contact groups reported on outcomes noting several draft decisions with sections on which agreement was pending the outcome of the budget discussions. Budget Group Chair Spencer Thomas reported that the Budget Group had yet to agree on the IPBES budget for 2017 and 2018. Chair Watson alerted delegates that closing the session without adopting a budget was unacceptable.

Delegates then adopted decisions on: capacity building; policy tools and methodologies; the enhanced participation of the EU in IPBES Plenary sessions; the scoping report for and assessment on the sustainable use of wild species; and the dates, venues and agendas of IPBES-6 and IPBES-7. Delegates also approved the decision on the development of a second work programme subject to finalization of the budget, and approved all but one section of the decision on ILK on which informal consultations continue.

At 6:55pm plenary was suspended and the Budget Group reconvened to finalize the decision on the budget.

Plenary reconvened at 8:30. Budget Group Chair Thomas explained that the Budget Group was unable to agree on budget for 2017 and 2018. Delegates discussed several options, including a “minimum survival budget” to guarantee the continuation of IPBES’ operations, and a “high risk” budget that would risk a significant budget shortfall in case additional contributions in 2017 and 2018 are insufficient. Delegates eventually agreed to adopt a medium-sized budget allowing for IPBES operations to continue but not for the initiation of the pending assessments. Delegates agreed to authorize the rapporteur to finalize the meeting’s report based on comments provided by member countries within two weeks. Chair Watson gaveled the meeting to a close at 10:55pm.

IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from the Stakeholder Day and the 5th Session of the Plenary of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy
Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES-5). The summary and analysis report is available in HTML and PDF.

Photos by IISD/ENB | Sean Wu
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Plenary Session

View of the dais during the plenary

Spencer Thomas, Grenada

Diego Pacheco Balanza, Bolivia

Anne Teller, Stefan Leiner and Marco Fritz, European Commission

Christine Dawson, US

Kevin Cash, Canada

Contact Group on Indigenous and Local Knowledge Systems

The dais during the contact group on Indigenous and Local Knowledge Systems

Contact Group Co-Chair Diego Pacheco Balanza

Mohamed Ali Ben Temessek, Tunisia

Mustafa Uzun, Turkey

Magdalena Dolores Susana Von Beckh
Widmanstetter
and Santiago D'Alessio, Argentina

Rastislav Rybanic, Slovakia

Friends of the Chair Group on the Status of EU Membership

View of the dais at Friends of the Chair Group on the Status of EU Membership

Kate Louw, IISD/ENB

Prudence Tangham Galega, Cameroon

Alfred Oteng-Yeboah, Ghana

Contact Group on the Review of the Platform

View of the dais during the Contact Group on the Review of the Platform

Sofía Treviño Heres, Mexico

Delegates from China

Sebastián Restrepo and Ana María Hernández Salgar, Colombia

José Romero, Switzerland

Paul Leadley, MEP, and François Lengrand, France

Contact Group on Knowledge and Data

Paul Leadley, MEP

View of the dais

Jose Rafael, Dominican Republic

Ndayikeza Willy, Burundi

Agnès Hallosserie, France

Anne Teller, European Commission, and Hilde Eggermont, Belgium

Isabel Sousa Pinto, Portugal

François Lengrand, France

Ryo Kohsaka and Hideto Watanabe, Japan

Contact Group on Nature’s Contributions to People

View of the dais

Jean-François Silvain, France

Kiruben Naicker and Carmel Mbizvo, South Africa

Contact Group on the Sustainable Use of Wild Biodiversity, Capacity Building,

and Policy Support Tools and Methodologies

Contact Group Co-Chair Ivar Baste

Janne Kotiaho, Finland

El Khitma El Awad Mohammed, Sudan; and Luthando Dziba, South Africa

Around the Venue

Participants

Negotiating blocs
European Union