Welcome to the 9th Session of the IPBES Plenary (IPBES 9) to be held from 3–9 July 2022 in Bonn, Germany. 

Note: Updated information will be posted here as it becomes available. Please check back regularly and refer to the change log section at the bottom of this page for details about changes that have been made

1. Meeting venue

The meeting will be held at the Main Building of the World Conference Center Bonn (WCCB). (Click to view on Google Maps)

Platz der Vereinten Nationen 2,  53113 Bonn, Germany.

2. Accommodation in Bonn

Please note that participants are requested to book their own accommodation at a hotel of their choice. Supported participants should consider the Daily Subsistence Allowance rate when making their hotel bookings. An indicative rate can be found for Germany on https://icsc.un.org/#dsa. It is recommended to choose refundable fares in case you cannot attend the meeting in person for any reason. IPBES will not reimburse fees resulting from hotel cancellations.

In cooperation with the City of Bonn, the IPBES secretariat has blocked rooms in different hotels across the city varying in gradings from 3 to 5 stars. You can book your accommodation online through the following website: https://www.bonn-region.de/events/ipbes-9.html. Bookings done via this page will also include a free ticket for local public transport for the duration of your stay.

Please find below a list of some of the hotels from the website mentioned above which are within walking distance of or connected by short direct public transport to the meeting venue.

3. Arrival by local public transportation at WCCB

Option 1: Tram from Bonn Central Station (Hauptbahnhof)

Take the trams 16 or 66 (direction Bad Godesberg or Königswinter/Bad Honnef).This takes about 15 minutes.

Alight at the Heussallee / Museumsmeile stop and follow the signs to the World Conference Center Bonn (appr. 450 metres by foot).

Follow Heussallee to the junction with Platz der Vereinten Nationen and turn left.

The Main Entrances of the WCCB are located 100 metres down the street. 

Option 2: Bus from Bonn Central Station (Hauptbahnhof)

You can take the buses number 610 and 611 (direction Pappelweg).This takes about 15 minutes

Alight at the stop Deutsche Welle / Heussallee. Follow the Heussallee to the junction with Platz der Vereinten Nationen. Turn left onto Platz der Vereinten Nationen.

The Main Entrance of the WCCB is located 100 metres down the street. 

Option 3: Local Train Station "Bonn UN Campus"

"Bonn UN Campus" is the Deutsche Bahn stop for trains of the regional rail transport, not for intercity transport (so not for ICE or IC):

• Regionalexpress RE 5 (DB Regio NRW)
• Regionalbahn RB 26 (Transregio)
• Regionalbahn RB 48 (National Express)
• Regionalbahn RB 30 (DB Regio NRW)

Distance to the WCCB: appr. 750 metres on foot (via Genscherallee and Heussallee)

You can also take the busses 610 and 611 from Bonn UN Campus to Heussallee

There are various connections to the WCCB by bus and tram. Please consult the website of Stadtwerke Bonn (https://www.swb-busundbahn.de/en/english/) or Verkehrsverbund Rhein Sieg (https://www.vrs.de/en/) to see the possible connections.

4. Getting to and around Bonn

Bonn is located approximately 20 minutes south of Cologne/Köln airport by road, and two hours north-west of Frankfurt/Main. Bonn can be reached from three main airports, Cologne/Bonn Airport, Frankfurt International Airport and Düsseldorf Airport.

Participants arriving at Cologne/Bonn Airport can reach Bonn city centre either by taxi (the fare from the airport to the city centre is approximately €65.00), or by bus (SB 60), departing from the bus stop at Terminal 1 to the city centre (final stop “Hauptbahnhof”, main railway station).

Participants arriving at Frankfurt International Airport may wish to take the train to Bonn. There is a high-speed train service (ICE) between the airport and Bonn/Cologne. Travel time is approximately 40 minutes and the ticket cost is about €60.00 (2nd class). Departure is from the long-distance train station (Fernbahnhof) in the airport complex. The final destination is Cologne, but participants should get off before Cologne, at the station stop in the town of Siegburg.  You can then take tram 66 parked directly in the train station, that will bring you directly to Bonn city centre. The tram ticket costs €5.30 and can be purchased directly on the train. Please note that you can pay either by credit card or with cash. Taxis are also available for approximately €50 from Siegburg to Bonn

Normal train service between Frankfurt International Airport and Bonn is also available (from the long-distance train station (Fernbahnhof) in the airport). Travel time is approximately 2 hours and a round trip ticket costs about €45.00 (2nd class). This trip along the Rhine River is one of the most scenic train trips in Germany and brings you directly into the city centre of Bonn. Detailed information on train schedules and prices are available here: https://www.bahn.com/en/view/index.shtml

From Düsseldorf Airport to Bonn, there are direct trains, which run hourly and have a travel time of about 66 minutes and the ticket cost is about €17.00 (2nd class).

Information on public transport, schedules, routes and online tickets for trains and buses can be obtained with the free SWB easy.GO or VRS (Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Sieg) apps on Android and iOS.

5. Registration

All participants must be duly registered on https://ipbes.net/user/login?destination=ipbes-9/registration for badges to be issued to them. Upon arrival at the meeting venue for the first time, delegates will be requested to collect their badges at the registration desk located at the entrance of the Main Building of WCCB. A valid passport or national identification card should be presented to the registration staff for the issuance of badges. Delegates can proceed directly through security once badges have been issued to them. Delegates are also requested to immediately report to the registration desk in the event of loss of badges. For security reasons, all delegates are required to wear their badge in the meeting venue.

The registration desk opening hours are:

• Saturday, 2 July 2022 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Sunday, 3 July 2022 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Monday, 4 July 2022 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Tuesday 5 July 2022 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Wednesday 6 July 2022 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Thursday 7 July 2022 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Friday 8 July 2022 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Saturday, 9 July 2022 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

6. Duration and schedule of the Plenary session

The ninth session of the IPBES Plenary is expected to last for 7 days. It will open on Sunday, 3 July at 10 a.m. and is expected to close on Saturday, 9 July 2022 at 6 p.m. The sessions will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Additional meetings may take place in contact groups.

Regional Consultations and the IPBES Stakeholder Day will take place on Saturday, 2 July 2022, from 8 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. The regional consultation meetings are self-organized by the regional groupings. Bureau members from each region will coordinate the scheduling of the regional consultations that will take place during the event. Anybody wishing to participate in the Stakeholder Day is required to register separately for this event - #IPBES9 registration is not sufficient to join the Stakeholder Day. Should you wish to register for Stakeholder Day, please go to https://ipbes.net/events/ipbes-9-stakeholder-day.

Please consult the annotated agenda published at https://ipbes.net/document-library-catalogue/ipbes91add1.

Meeting documents

Working and information documents for the meeting documents are made available at https://ipbes.net/events/ipbes-9-plenary

Duly registered participants and all national focal points will be granted permissions to view limited distribution documents. Document access permissions will be assigned to the accounts that were used to register the delegates to the meeting.

To make the meeting as environmentally friendly as possible, a paperless meeting system will be used, whereby participants are encouraged to access the designated website (https://ipbes.net/events/ipbes-9-plenary) for all pre-session and in-session documentation. To that end, participants are strongly encouraged to bring their personal laptops to the meeting and to ensure that their laptops have suitable power adapters and are loaded with up-to-date antivirus software.

Interpretation

Simultaneous interpretation into the six official languages of the United Nations (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish) will be provided for all the plenary meetings, and for some meetings of the working groups. No interpretation will be provided for interventions made by remote participants.

Remote participation

Provision will be made for duly registered members of delegations to actively participate online in the plenary meetings and meetings of the two working groups, which are expected to be established. Please note that interventions made online can only be delivered in English; and that no interpretation into the other five official United Nations languages will be done for these remote interventions.

Delegates that would like to participate online need to complete the same registration procedure as delegates participating in-person.

Daily coverage of the meeting

Daily IISD coverage of the meeting will be made available at http://www.iisd.ca (The link will be published on https://ipbes.net/events/ipbes-9-plenary)

Follow IPBES to receive tweets about the event: http://twitter.com/IPBES

Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/ipbes

7. Credentials

Each Member of the Platform is required to submit the official credentials of its representative(s), together with the names of alternate representatives and advisers, to the secretariat prior to the official opening. In accordance with the Rules of Procedure adopted by IPBES, the credentials must be issued by or on behalf of the Member’s Head of State or Government or Minister for Foreign Affairs consistent with each country’s policies and law. Each Member is encouraged to upload a copy of the credentials in advance of the meeting on https://ipbes.net/user/login?destination=ipbes-9/nomination-letters-and-credentials. The original should be submitted as soon as possible, but no later than 24 hours after the opening of the session. Only Members that have submitted valid credentials will have the right to take part in decision making at the Plenary. Observer States are not required to submit credentials, but they are still required to present an official communication designating officials that participate at the event.

8. Daily subsistence allowance (DSA) disbursement and travel

IPBES is able, upon request, to provide financial support for one representative from each developing country to cover travel expenses corresponding to the most economical and direct flights to Bonn. IPBES will only be able to provide such funding for participants holding valid credentials or otherwise officially nominated by their government to attend the meeting. The nomination letter should spell out the name of the nominated delegate who should be receiving the funds.

Supported delegates should not purchase their own tickets without prior approval by the secretariat. Self-ticket requests should be addressed to [email protected].  

Supported delegates will need to provide their boarding pass stubs when claiming the daily subsistence allowance (DSA). Supported delegates who are required to pay for visas to enter Germany are also required to submit original receipts for reimbursement.

DSA payment for this meeting will be made through a value cash card. Therefore, the DSA entitlement is credited on the card and not received by cash. The card is a Master card that allows its holder to withdraw the full amount at any ATM machine or use it to pay the expenses at hotels, restaurants and shops. The secretariat will inform supported participants by email when the card is activated. Supported delegates are requested to bring some cash currency because the cash cards can take up to 2 days to be activated.

The DSA desk will be located at the entrance of the Main Building of WCCB. Opening hours for the DSA desk will be as follows:

• 02 July to 06 July 2022: 08h to 15h.
• 07 July to 09 July 2022: 08h to 12h 

9. Health, safety and security

COVID-19 guidelines

To ensure the health and safety of participants and the local community, participants will be required to fully comply with and adhere to the following COVID-19 health and safety guidelines:

• Mask wearing is obligatory when indoors/in the venue except when eating or drinking or when speaking in a meeting room or at an event. Masks will be distributed free of charge at the Registration Desk at the entrance of the Main Building of WCCB.
• Full vaccination is strongly encouraged. Access to the conference venue is not conditional on proof of full vaccination or a negative antigen test, but it is expected that participants test daily at their places of residence for everyone’s safety.
• Daily self-testing:
  • • All participants will be expected to perform a rapid antigen self-test daily for the duration of their participation in the conference.
    • Test kits will be distributed free of charge to participants at the Registration Desk in the Main Building of WCCB:
    • Participants with a positive test result will need to:
      • • Self-isolate immediately. Self-isolation can be ended after 5 days with an official negative test (rapid antigen test from a test centre or a PCR test) or after 10 days without an official negative test.
        • Inform the head of the participant’s delegation and the secretariat by writing to [email protected].
        • Conduct a PCR test to confirm the antigen test result. A test centre offering PCR tests on a commercial basis close to the conference venue is located at Heussallee 11, 53117 Bonn. An overview of test centres on a commercial basis in Bonn is available at https://www.bonn.de/microsite/en/services/medical-care/information-on-testing-for-the-coronavirus.php. Costs for PCR tests will not be reimbursed by the secretariat.
• Quarantine and  COVID-19 testing expenses shall not be reimbursed. 
• Self-isolating participants can participate in negotiations remotely. Meeting connection details will be sent to all duly registered participants.
• If medical assistance is required, please refer to the information below on medical emergencies.
• Venue details: Enhanced fresh air circulation will be implemented in the WCCB. Hand sanitizer dispensers will be available throughout the venue.
• Physical distancing is currently not implemented in the venue, but participants are encouraged to maintain a safe distance wherever and whenever possible.
• The secretariat will continue to monitor the situation and adjust guidelines as necessary.

Medical emergencies

For medical emergencies, please see the first aid staff in the emergency room in the corridor next to the Information Desk, on the ground floor of the main building.

For other emergencies, please contact the security staff or the Information Desk on the ground floor of the main building.

Emergency numbers

Outside conference premises, call the following numbers for assistance:

Hospitals in Bonn

Medical Insurance

Meeting participants are responsible for obtaining comprehensive international insurance for the duration of their stay. The United Nations and IPBES secretariat disclaim all responsibility for medical, accident and travel insurance, for compensation for death or disability, for loss or damage to personal property and for any other costs or losses that may be incurred during travel or the period of participation.

Right of entry

In the interests of the security and safety of all participants and the smooth running of the sessions, the IPBES secretariat reserves the right to deny and/or restrict access to the conference premises, or to request participants to leave the premises. The IPBES secretariat shall not be responsible for any expenses incurred by participants who are requested to leave the premises or refused registration or access to the sessions for which they have been nominated and/or registered as participants.

10. List of participants

A list of registered participants is available here. Delegates are reminded that the list of participants is based on the information provided by them at the time of registration and that inclusion in the list of participants is conditional upon official registration and attendance. Delegates are requested to confirm the correctness of the information they provided in their registration which will be sent to the email address of the logged in user immediately after registration. A list of participants will be available on the IPBES website as soon as possible after the start of the meeting. Delegates are requested to check the entries carefully and make any necessary changes using the edit link provided in the registration confirmation email sent immediately after registration or submit any corrections to the Registration Desk and the entrance of the Main Building of WCCB or by email to [email protected].

11. Catering

Food and beverages are not permitted inside any of the meeting rooms. Broich Catering and Locations Gmbh will provide catering services at the Foyer Rhine Level. Warm and cold meals as well as soft and alcoholic beverages will be available for lunch (12 pm to 2 pm) and dinner (5.30 pm to 8pm) on a self-paying basis.

Water dispensers will be provided at multiple locations of the meeting venue. Meeting participants are encouraged to bring water bottles to minimize waste.

Delegations wishing to organise receptions or group meals can contact Martin Siegel, Tel.: + 49 228 9267-1377, e-mail [email protected]

12. General information on Germany and Bonn

Location: Bonn is located in the center of Europe, in the Rhineland, at the Rhine River. More information about Bonn is available here.

Currency: The Euro (€) is the paper currency in Germany. As of June 2022, the exchange rate was € 0.93 for $ 1.

Credit cards: Major credit cards are accepted in most hotels and restaurants in the city of Bonn, but not in all shops.

Electricity: Germany 230 V 50 Hz C / F

Voltage: 220-240 Volts (U.S./Canada are 110-120 Volts)

Primary Socket Type: Europlug, Schuko

Standard Time Zone: Germany is in the Central European Time zone. GMT +1 hour

Weather: The temperatures in July are around 23.5 °C. Please check here for up-to-date information.

13. Visas and entry into Germany

Please refer to list of countries requiring visas from the German Federal Foreign Office: https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/visa-service/-/231148

Attestation letters to support visa applications will be sent to all registered participants who have uploaded official letters. The attestation letter should be attached to visa applications forms. Applicants should always point out that they are participants to a UN conference. The appointment-booking should be done directly after registration. 

Please make sure to submit all required documents along with your application and note that you will need health insurance to cover your stay in Germany (IPBES does not cover health insurance). 

As of Saturday, June 11, 2022, all COVID-19 entry restrictions to Germany were provisionally lifted for all travel purposes (including tourism and visiting trips). Proof of vaccination, proof of convalescence or proof of testing is no longer required.

We recommend that you take note of any specific requirements that airlines have and that you refer to the official website from the Government of Germany on travel during the COVID-19 pandemic for any updates https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/coronavirus/2317268#content_0

Change log

• 02 June 2022: Version 1
• 15 June 2022: Added information about 9 Euro ticket
• 15 June 2022: Added information about visas and entry into Germany.
• 27 June 2022: Added list of trains that are not covered by 9 Euro ticket and information about wearing of masks in public transport