The Intergovernmental science-policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) was founded in April 2012, under the auspices of the United Nations Organisation, to assist governments and strengthen the resources of emerging countries, thus helping them address biodiversity issues.
The biodiversity equivalent of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the IPBES endeavours to identify and develop decision-making aids and practices that encompass all relevant knowledge on biodiversity and ecosystem services from scientific research, governments, non-governmental organisations, local stakeholders and indigenous peoples.
France’s presence on the IPBES is the outcome of the coordination efforts led by the French Foundation for Research on Biodiversity: 39 French members, including 9 IRD researchers, were selected in 2014 and 2015. This is clear acknowledgement of the excellence of the scientific work conducted in this field by IRD.