[Invasive-species] IPBES Expert E-Conference for scoping the IAS Assessment (7-25 September): more info

[hilde eggermont]

Dear Colleagues,

Herewith, we would like to remind you on the upcoming *E**-conference (7-25
September) *for 'scoping' the *IPBES thematic assessment* on *invasive
alien species and their control*, and provide some more information - as
requested by some of you. This assessment will assess the threat that
invasive alien species pose to biodiversity, ecosystem services and
livelihoods and the global status of and trends in impacts of invasive
alien species by region and sub-region, taking into account various
knowledge and value systems.

The general idea of the '*scoping' process*, which will be the subject of
the E-conference, is to define the general structure & implementation plan
for the assessment (which will thus be conducted in a second phase). This
would involve discussing:

   - relevant policy questions,
   - scope, rationale and utility of the assessments;
   - an issue analysis of what substantive items would need to be covered;
   - indicators, metrics and data sets;
   - relevant aspects of indigenous and local knowledge systems;
   - relevant stakeholders and initiatives and strategic partnerships;
   - and capacity building needs.

The objective of the online conference is to run an inclusive process
allowing for a broad input into the development of the scoping documents
engaging as many experts as possible. This step represents an innovation
compared to the scoping processes performed in 2014, which consisted of a
face-to-face scoping workshop with a limited number of experts. The
e-conference will be conducted over three weeks (*7th- 25th of September
2015)*. It will essentially be implemented as an internet forum/discussion
board that will allow experts to post their contributions in structured
discussion boards, reply to already posted contributions, or simply read
the contributions, discussing various elements relevant to the scoping
reports. At the end of each week a synthesis report will be prepared based
on comments and discussions held during the week. The next week’s
discussions will build on the discussions of the previous week and by the
end of the third week the intention is to have a draft that would already
resemble as much as possible the structure of the final scoping reports.
These draft scoping reports will be the base for the Multidisciplinary
Expert Panel and Bureau to finalize the documents for consideration by the
Plenary at its fourth session 22-28 February 2016.

Experts, practitioner, decision makers and knowledge holders interested to
participate are requested to fill the online registration form available
here <http://ipbes.net/j3/forum/index.php?/register/>. Once the registered
account has been approved the Secretariat will send a confirmation e-mail
and further information on the e-conference and scoping process.

So that we have a clear idea of who in the Belgian community is interested
in this work, and to help us find experts in the future, it would also be
good if interested experts could notify us of their registration by
emailing to h.eggermont at biodiversity.be detailing name, current position
and area(s) of expertise.

We sincerely hope many of you will be available to contribute to this
conference!

Best wishes,
Hilde Eggermont
www.biodiversity.be/ipbes

-- 
Dr. Hilde Eggermont <http://www.ecology.ugent.be/limno/HE.php> - OD
Nature, Royal
Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences <http://www.naturalsciences.be>,
Belgium
Scientific coordinator of the Belgian Biodiversity Platform
<http://www.biodiversity.be/> - -  BiodivERsA <http://www.biodiversa.org/> Vice
Chair - - IPBES <http://www.biodiversity.be/ipbes> National Focal Point BE

*WATCH OUR BELGIAN BIODIVERSITY PLATFORM MOVIES ON:*
http://vimeo.com/114955090 (data publication activities)
http://vimeo.com/114955160 (science-policy activities)
http://vimeo.com/114955193 (our general mission)
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