On Thursday 7 July, the Ninth Session of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) approved the Thematic Assessment on the Sustainable Use of Wildlife, which emphasizes the fundamental connection between humans and nature and reaffirms that humans are dependent on nature.
The assessment clearly shows that billions of people in all regions of the world rely on and benefit from the use of wild species for food, medicine, energy, income and many other purposes; that the sustainable use of wild species is essential to the identity and existence of many indigenous peoples and local communities; and that ensuring sustainable use of wild species is key to reversing the global trend of biodiversity loss.
Just as the IPBES Global Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services 2019 Report outlines the grim reality that one million species are at risk of extinction due to unsustainable human activities, the IPBES Thematic Assessment on Sustainable Use of Wild Species will be important in advancing our efforts to preserve at least 30 percent of land and water and 30 percent of the global ocean. The IPBES assessment highlights the importance of recognizing, respecting and including indigenous and local knowledge and knowledge systems in policy decisions.
The United States played a key role in the establishment of IPBES in 2012 and is a strong supporter of IPBES today. We celebrate the 10-year anniversary of IPBES by reaffirming our commitment to the advancement of science and the role of science in decision-making. The United States has also worked in IPBES to advance the involvement of indigenous peoples and local communities and the inclusion, with their consent, of indigenous and local knowledge in IPBES assessments.
