Invasive alien species assessment

Thematic assessment of invasive alien species and their control

At its sixth session (IPBES-6) in Medellin, Colombia in 2018, the IPBES Plenary approved the undertaking of a thematic assessment of invasive alien species and their control. The assessment officially commenced at the seventh session of IPBES Plenary (IPBES-7) in Paris, France the following year. The assessment report is scheduled to be presented for the Plenary’s acceptance, and its summary for policymakers for its approval, at the tenth session of the Plenary (IPBES-10), at a location and date to be determined.

In the IPBES Regional Assessments and Global Assessment Report, invasive alien species were identified as one of the main direct drivers of biodiversity loss worldwide. The rapidly growing threat that invasive alien species pose to biodiversity, ecosystem services, sustainable development and human well-being is, however, generally poorly quantified and little understood by decision makers.

The experts will assess the current status and trends of invasive alien species, their impacts, their drivers, their management, and options for policy to deal with the challenges they pose. The assessment takes into account various knowledge and value systems including local and indigenous knowledge. See the full list of experts here.

For further information, please consult the full scoping document.

For the latest on the progress made in the assessment, please refer to the information document and the associated video submitted to the eighth session of the Plenary (IPBES-8).