14-15 October 2024 — The APN Secretariat, represented by Dr Nafesa Ismail, participated in the second day of the 7th IPBES Capacity-Building Forum, which focused on strengthening capacities for the upcoming second IPBES Global Assessment. The forum brought together scientists, policymakers, youth and Indigenous representatives to enhance the science-policy interface for biodiversity and ecosystem services.
Participants explored innovative strategies to increase engagement in the global assessment process and identified opportunities for synergy in capacity building efforts. The involvement of APN in the forum’s second day allowed for meaningful discussions on creative joint actions and fostering participation, providing insights and opportunities for collaboration in support of the objectives of IPBES.
Panel discussion: How to support engagement in the Second Global Assessment
The panel featured representatives sharing case studies on how IPBES outputs have been utilised in policy and decision-making processes across various regions. Of particular interest was the contribution from the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), which highlighted its core initiatives: capacity building, knowledge hubs and merging issues. These insights were relevant to the ongoing work of APN in capacity development and its efforts to strengthen the science-policy interface in the Asia-Pacific region.
Breakout Group Session: Exploring novel and creative joint actions
During the 7th IPBES Capacity-Building Forum, online participants could join one of six breakout sessions. At the same time, in-person attendees participated in the “Down to Earth” session, which focused on policy processes and their contributions to global assessments. The online sessions covered topics ranging from IPBES data management to engaging early career professionals (ECPs) and Indigenous knowledge holders.
APN participated in the session on “Supporting Strengthened Early-Career and Youth Engagement in IPBES,” which focused on enhancing the involvement of ECPs and young individuals in the IPBES process. During this session, APN introduced its Asia-Pacific Network of Early Career Professionals (APN-ECAP) initiative, highlighting its commitment to fostering youth engagement. The discussion centred on strategies to encourage active participation from young professionals in the second global assessment, aligning closely with the capacity-building goals of both IPBES and APN.
Looking ahead: Synergies and possible collaborations
- Alignment with APN’s Goals: The forum reinforced that capacity building programmes of APN, such as CAPaBLE and APN-ECAP, are well-positioned to support IPBES in its second global assessment. The emphasis on youth engagement, Indigenous knowledge and building regional capacities aligns closely with our current programmes.
- Alignment with global initiatives: The RESPIN project, which supports the integrated use of IPBES and IPCC processes, is an excellent example of how APN could further engage with these global frameworks. RESPIN empowers decision-makers globally and addresses knowledge gaps, especially in underrepresented regions such as Central Africa, Central Asia and Latin America. APN, already active in IPBES and IPCC work—through participation in the review assessments and capacity-building—could explore similar avenues to enhance its regional influence, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. RESPIN’s focus on the uptake of knowledge at national and subnational levels could serve as a model for future initiatives of APN.
- Potential for collaboration: The IAI’s model of science-policy engagement, particularly in Latin America, offers valuable lessons for APN. There may be opportunities to develop similar frameworks for the Asia-Pacific region, particularly through partnerships focusing on localised, tailored solutions for biodiversity and ecosystem services.
Moving forward, APN aims to explore collaborative activities with IPBES to strengthen the science-policy interface and actively engage ECPs across the Asia-Pacific region. The APN-ECAP platform will serve as a key avenue for deepening the young generation’s involvement and serving as a central hub for ECP engagement. Future projects will be aligned more closely with IPBES assessments to foster synergy. Further, APN will support the second global assessment by promoting awareness, facilitating science communication training and encouraging regional expert participation to maximise the impact of assessment findings.