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04 June 2018

Media Release: SANParks Executive Appointed To The UN Body on Biodiversity & Ecosystems

In celebration of World Environment Day 2018 (5 June), South African National Parks (SANParks) is proud to announce that its Managing Executive Conservation Services Dr Luthando Dziba has been recently appointed as a member of the Multidisciplinary Expert Panel (MEP) in the 6th Plenary of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).

World Environment Day is celebrated annually and is about awareness and action for the protection of our environment. According to the United Nations (UN) “World Environment Day is the ‘people's day’ for doing something to take care of the Earth.” That ‘something’ can be anything local, national or global and SANParks is doing its part both locally and globally. The theme for this year is ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’ and is a call to action for all of us to come together to combat one of the greatest environmental challenges of our time, plastic pollution.

The IPBES is an independent intergovernmental body, established by UN member States in 2012. It provides policymakers with objective scientific assessments about the state of knowledge regarding the planet’s biodiversity, ecosystems and the benefits they provide to people, as well as the tools and methods to protect and sustainably use these vital natural assets.

Dr Dziba said that the outputs of IPBES assessments such as the report on the contribution of pollinators to food production have helped the public and policy makers understand the value of biodiversity and the contribution it makes to our quality of life today. The recently approved reports of regional assessments for Africa, Americas, Asia-Pacific and Asia and Central Europe as well as land degradation add an important regional dimension to other aspects of biodiversity and ecosystem services. I am proud to have been appointed as a member of the MEP.”

The MEP is comprised of five expert participants from each of the five UN regions, overseeing all IPBES scientific and technical functions. They are appointed for three years with the possibility of re-election for one consecutive term.

Their functions are:

  • Provide advice to the Plenary on scientific and technical aspects of the Platform’s programme of work;
  • Help oversee the Platform’s peer-review process to ensure the highest levels of scientific quality, independence and credibility for all products delivered by the Platform;
  • Engage the scientific community and other knowledge holders with the work programme, taking into account the need for different disciplines and types of knowledge, gender balance, and effective contribution and participation by experts from developing countries;
  • Explore ways and means to bring different knowledge systems, including indigenous knowledge systems, into the science-policy interface.

“I look forward to engaging with people worldwide in finding solutions for the sustainability of the world’s natural assets. A very critical task at hand is the finalization of the Global Assessment of the state of biodiversity and nature’s contribution to people. The other big task is to catalyze knowledge gaps identified in the recent assessments.”

Dr Dziba concluded, “IPBES must play an active role in catalyzing national and local level assessments as this will significantly cement its relevance to its member states. We can all make a difference to biodiversity and our ecosystem. Small changes can have a big impact, so starting today try and make every day a World Environment Day.”


SANParks Managing Executive Conservation Services: Dr Luthando Dziba

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Issued By

South African National Parks (SANParks) Corporate Communications
Tel: 012 426 5170

Media Enquiries:
Janine Raftopoulos
SANParks Head of Communications
Tel: 012 426 5170, Cell: 071 444 3121
Email: [email protected]

Reynold Thakhuli
SANParks General Manager: Media, PR & Stakeholder Relations
Tel: 012 426 5203; Cell: 073 373 4999
Email: [email protected]