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About ONet
The Open-ended Network of IPBES Stakeholders (ONet) is recognised and underpinned by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). ONet is a space for stakeholders to organise among the community, engage with IPBES, and support the platform's work: in service of biodiversity and nature's contributions to people.
ONet was established following a decision by the third IPBES Plenary in 2015 (Decision IPBES-3/4), and encouraged by the stakeholder community. The network is part of the IPBES Stakeholder Engagement Strategy, a novel and in some ways unique approach among institutions like IPBES.
“An important element for the relevance, effectiveness, credibility and overall success of the Platform.”
~ the third IPBES Plenary on stakeholder engagement
What we do
- ONet fosters communication between stakeholders and IPBES. We provide information on IPBES. We organise meetings between stakeholders and the IPBES Secretariat. We co-organise Stakeholder Days prior to each plenary. We coordinate stakeholder statements at the plenaries.
- We help disseminate IPBES products and achievements. We support capacity-building in service of biodiversity and nature's contributions to people.
- ONet strengthens support for IPBES. We engage with different groups and communities. We mobilise intangible and in-kind contributions to the platform.
- We host an online space for the stakeholder community. Here you can find other stakeholders, share events, publish your news, stories and insights, and more.
>> Get involved
ONet membership
Membership of ONet is free of charge and comes at no financial cost. The IPBES plenary is keen to engage diverse stakeholders: it has emphasised diversity in geography, disciplines, and knowledge systems. For more detailed information on ONet, please see the terms of reference.
>> Key documents and resources
If you'd like to engage with IPBES on biodiversity and nature's contributions to people, you are a potential stakeholder: ONet welcomes both contributors to IPBES, as well as distributors and end-users of its products. Among stakeholders, we welcome policy makers and government officals at all levels, researchers of all disciplines, environment practitioners, people who hold local knowledge relevant to biodiversity, businesses and industry, community organisations, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, media, and communities and the public at large.
>> Apply for individual membership
For organisational membership, please see our separate application form:
>> Apply for organisational membership
IPBES Stakeholder Registry & Networks
Alongside their participation in ONet, all members are also encouraged to join the IPBES Stakeholder Registry: you will receive official IPBES communications for stakeholders directly.
>> IPBES Stakeholder Registry
ONet is one of two IPBES stakeholder networks. The second is the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IIFBES). All IPBES stakeholders are welcome to request to join either or both networks.
>> IIFBES
Within ONet, members with interests in the social sciences and humanities are invited to join a dedicated network:
>> SSH Network
The ONet facilitation team
The facilitation team look after ONet's virtual spaces and coordinate the network. The team's members meet at least once a month throughout the year. They respond to issues relating to the IPBES work program, plan events, such as speaker series, and undertake surveys to assess the needs and wishes of the stakeholder community.
Furthermore, the facilitation team organise ONet Caucus Days. They work with the IPBES Secretariat to plan and deliver the Stakeholder Day that precedes each IPBES plenary. The facilitation team also coordinate IPBES stakeholders' joint efforts in crafting their statements to IPBES plenaries.
Paulina 孫夏天
Hualien, Taiwan
Paulina G. Karimova holds a PhD in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences. She is a research assistant at the Landscape Conservation and Community Participation laboratory, College of Environmental Studies and Oceanography, National Dong Hwa University (NDHU), Taiwan. Her research interests include integrated landscape and seascape approaches, adaptive co-management of protected areas and OECMs, facilitation of multi-stakeholder platforms, and community-based monitoring and evaluation. She is a member of IUCN/WCPA, ProGEO, IPSI, a handling editor for PARKS the International Journal of Protected Areas and Conservation, and a fellow for the IPBES Nexus Assessment. Paulina is passionate about revitalisation of Taiwan’s rural areas and is actively engaged in the nationwide promotion of the Taiwan Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (TPSI). Together with her research partner dog Beibei Sun, she believes that living in harmony with Nature comes from within our hearts – from our deepest appreciation and joy for Life in all of its forms and sizes. Paulina is a representative of the SSH Network on the ONet facilitation team.
Franziska
Rosenheim, Germany
Franziska Fischer is an agricultural scientist investigating wheat, currently writing up her PhD thesis at the University of Cambridge. Before joining the ONet facilitation team, she served on the Royal Society of Biology’s Education and Science Policy Committee for five years. Franziska is also pursuing a personal interest in crop biodiversity and public engagement with science as a STEM Ambassador with STEM Learning UK. She holds an M.Sc. in Agricultural Sciences majoring in Agro-Economics from TUM (Germany) and an MSc in Crop Improvement from the University of Nottingham (UK).
Shivani
Bonn, Germany
Shivani Rai is a Capacity Development Consultant with the UN Volunteers (UNV) Programme in Germany, with experience in Natural Resource Management, Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation. She strives to promote youth engagement and has therefore been coordinating and facilitating communications between the early career researchers of Young Ecosystem Services Specialists (YESS) and ONet.
Oscar
Bogor, Indonesia
I was born and grew up in rural area inhabited by farmers near to Nyungwe rain forest in Nyamagabe, Southwest of Rwanda. However, I was very interested and motivated to learn more and was always looking for opportunities fortify. I did my best to go to high school where I became fascinated with biology, chemistry, physics, geography, math and history and pursued applied chemistry in my Undergraduate. After, I got job as a tour guide since June 2014 to August 2021, later herpetologist in 2019 and curator in 2021 at the Kandt House Museum which is under Rwanda Cultural Heritage Academy. I specialized in culture and nature tourism as well as contact management and daily management of museum.
My experiences inspired my interest not only in the environment and its biodiversity but also in culture and nature heritage conservation and protection. As a master student in Natural Resource and Environment Management at the Bogor Agriculture University known as Institut Pertania Bogor ( IPB) in Indonesia, I am following and learning about conservation practices, solutions for environmental pollution, sound management of natural resources and cultural heritage as well as climate change mitigation for the sake of biodiversity and heritage, future generation and our planet as whole. Finally I am dreaming to continue doctorate studies for the better professionalism and brighter future for myself, my family, my country and our World.
Pradeep
New Delhi, India
Pradeep K. Dubey, PhD is a Program Manager with the Sustainable Landscapes and Restoration team at the World Resource Institute India (WRI India). His work largely aligns with landscape restoration activity following a bottom-up approach in agriculture, forestry, and common land area in India. He is UN-IPBES Fellow for the IPBES Nexus Assessment, and member of three IUCN commissions (CEM, CEC, CEESP), as well as GSBI, and GLP. He is a recipient of the Special Recognition Award, IUCN-CEM Agroecosystems, Young Scientists Award, Society for science of climate change and environmental sustainability, India, and selected for Young Scientist presentation, APN, Japan. Pradeep holds an MSc-PhD degree in Environmental Science from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. He lead-authored the Springer book on ‘Adaptive Agricultural Practices, building resilience under changing climate’, and is editing upcoming books on ‘Sustainable plant nutrition & soil carbon sequestration' (Springer), and ‘Land restoration for achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals (Elsevier). He serves as Subject Editor for Vegetos (Springer) and Assistant Editor for Anthropocene Science (Springer). He attended the ninth IPBES Plenary in Bonn, Germany in person and represented ONet and SSH Network in Nairobi, Kenya during the sixth meeting of the IPBES capacity-building forum as a member of the facilitation team.
Laure
Gland, Switzerland
Laure Denos has worked in France, Spain, Chile, Honduras and El Salvador for the last 10+ years, dealing with sustainable town planning, energy efficiency, environmental policy and the science-policy interface in local, national and international contexts. She is an environmental engineer and holds a Master in political science and access to basic services in developing countries, from the Institute of Political Studies (France). She is currently an IUCN science-policy expert and she also supports the IPBES Secretariat in stakeholder engagement.
Ismael
Karamoja, Uganda
Ismael Ocen is a multi-skilled social researcher and development worker with 11 years' experience & skills in Indigenous Knowledge development and training, Climate Change, Ecosystem Management and Restoration. Ismael has developed skills and experience in leading local communities to advocate for protection of environment and to implement land use strategies for conserving species and important habitats, in order to maintain sustainable livelihoods and economic growth. Ismael is also involved in building synergies on both the market integration and the subsistence economy of pastoralism, through incentives and regulations. These actions ensure greater benefit flows from wildlife conservation and offer diversification options to the communities. Ismael’s work aims to encourage the sustainable use of natural resources and to ensure social and economic security of dryland pastoralists.
The ONet facilitation team gratefully acknowledge the contributions of our predecessors:
List of former members of the facilitation team
ONet's supporters
ONet is first and foremost a network run by stakeholders for stakeholders: we commend the countless hours, efforts, and expertise contributed by ONet's many individual and organisation members.
We further thank the IPBES Secretariat, Bureau, Experts, Members and Observers for their outspoken and often hands-on support of stakeholder engagement in the platform's work.
Finally, we thank IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) for their generous financial contributions towards ONet and stakeholder engagement with IPBES.
Image credits
Jace & Afsoon | Unsplash
Tegan Mierle | Unsplash
Goodluz | Shutterstock
Monstera Production | Pexels
Photos of the facilitation team members were supplied privately.
Credits for other header images on the website
Front page: Jeremy Cai | Unsplash
Get Involved: Artem Firsov (Wonderful Nature) | Shutterstock
News: Andrey Gulivanov | Unsplash
Blog: norikko | Shutterstock
Events: Esperanza Doronila | Unsplash
SSH Network: Samuel Scrimshaw | Unsplash