The work of IPBES as an intergovernmental science-policy platform is crucial to raise awareness on critical state of biodiversity and to identify possible actions for national governments and other actors. Therefore, it is important for IUCN to participate in the discussions, as confirmed by IUCN Resolution 118 from 2012 Jeju IUCN World Conservation Congress. Since the creation of the platform in 2012, IUCN has systematically participated to IPBES plenaries. The main outcome of the IPBES eighth plenary agenda this year, from 14 to 24 June 2021, was the approval of the nexus and transformative change assessment scoping reports.

IUCN sees the assessment of the interlinkages among biodiversity, water, food and health, in the context of climate change (nexus assessment) and the assessment of the underlying causes of biodiversity loss, determinants of transformative change, and options for achieving the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity (transformative change assessment) as critical for its community of Members and for stakeholders in general.

Integrating knowledge from diverse sectors in these assessments will be key. Particular requests to Indigenous peoples and local communities, non-governmental organisations, the private sector, and young professionals and researchers to support the elaboration processes of the two assessments were made during the #IPBES8 Stakeholder Days, organised with in-kind support from IUCN from 3 to 9 June 2021.

IPBES is also currently working on development of thematic assessments of Invasive Alien Species, of Sustainable Use of Wild Species, and of Values and Valuation of Biodiversity. IUCN is involved in and contributing to all three assessments, for example through the work of the IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group and the IUCN CEESP/SSC Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group. The Summaries for Policy-Makers of these assessments will be considered at the ninth and tenth IPBES Plenaries, respectively.

IUCN plays a key role in supporting stakeholder engagement with the platform through a 50% position to IPBES Secretariat, funded thanks to the IUCN-France partnership.