15 April 2024
EM/2024/18
External review of the concept note on the future role of the policy support function is open now!

Dear IPBES members and other interested stakeholders,
I am pleased to announce the start of the external review of the concept note on the future role ofthe policy support function, which corresponds to objective 4 (a) of the IPBES rolling work
programme up to 2030, and on ways to strengthen the implementation of this objective 4 (a).
In paragraph 2 (a) of Annex III to decision IPBES-10/1 the Plenary requested the secretariat to issue acall to IPBES members, experts and relevant stakeholders for inputs on the future role of the policy
support function, institutional arrangements, proposals for draft terms of reference, and ways tostrengthen the implementation of objective 4 (a).
In response to this request the secretariat issued, on 17 October 2023, a notification (EM/2023/44)
inviting IPBES members, observers and other interested stakeholders to provide inputs on fourelements: refining the scope and clarifying the aims of objective 4 (a); identifying the types ofactivities/deliverables necessary to implement objective 4 (a), and the scale at which they should beimplemented; identifying the types of impacts that these activities/deliverables intend to achieve;
and identifying options for institutional arrangements and mechanisms to facilitate delivery.
In response to paragraph 2 (c) of Annex IV to decision IPBES-10/1, the Bureau and Multidisciplinary
Expert Panel have developed a concept note on the future role of the policy support function andways to strengthen the implementation of objective 4 (a) based on the received inputs.
Governments, experts and relevant stakeholders are invited to review the concept note and submit
their comments, if any, to the secretariat. The comments will be taken into account when preparing
a presentation of options for ways to strengthen the implementation of objective 4 (a) to beconsidered for adoption by the Plenary at IPBES 11.
If you would like to participate as reviewer in this external review, please follow these steps:
1. Register as user of the IPBES website (https://ipbes.net/user/register) if you have not alreadydone so;
2. Log in first as IPBES website user and after this complete registration athttps://www.ipbes.net/external-review-concept-note-policy-support/registration
3. Once registered, you will immediately receive an email providing link to the concept note andthe review template that should be completed in English only;________________________________________________________________________________
Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)
Platz der Vereinten Nationen 1, 53 113 Bonn, Germany
mea-ipbes-secretariat@un.org • www.ipbes.net

4. You will be requested to submit your comments by uploading the review template athttps://www.ipbes.net/user/login?destination=add-review-file?d=69477 no later than 31
May 2024.
I thank you in advance for your continued support to IPBES.
Yours sincerely,

Dr Anne Larigauderie | Executive Secretary
Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)________________________________________________________________________________
Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)
Platz der Vereinten Nationen 1, 53 113 Bonn, Germany
mea-ipbes-secretariat@un.org • www.ipbes.net