Side Event

How can Science really add value to global biodiversity governance? – discussing the effectiveness of Science-Policy-Interfaces

Organizer
Young Scientist @ Biodiversity SPI – Network (YS@SPIs); DIVERSITAS International; German Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB)

Date and Time
14 October 2014 18:15 - 19:45

Meeting
Twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity

Science-Policy-Interfaces (SPIs) in the biodiversity arena aim at synthesizing the best possible knowledge basis to inform political decision-making, and being relevant, credible and legitimate. Besides scientific results on the status and trends of biodiversity, this also implies the scientific analysis of human-ecosystem interactions as well as of political processes and SPIs themselves. Additionally, SPIs help to develop formalised mechanisms or forms of communication to ensure appropriate interpretations of scientific knowledge for political decision-making. However, what is the best possible knowledge and how does it enter the policy arena? What actually is the knowledge we are still lacking, and, if we have all necessary knowledge at hand, does it really add value to policy-making? Established in spring 2014, the Young Scientist @ Biodiversity SPI-Network, an international, interdisciplinary network, aims at exchanging views and findings on these questions, and delivering joint analyses. In our side event we want to discuss the subject further with members of IPBES and CBD bodies, scientists and Member States representatives in a participatory fish bowl discussion.