São Paulo Dialogue: Biodiversity, ecosystem services and human wellbeing – Matching capacity building needs with resources

Abstract

Corresponding author: Carlos Alfredo Joly, e-mail: cjoly@unicamp.br1. The Sa˜o Paulo Dialogue was an initiative of the IPBESTask Force on Capacity Building, planned by members ofthe task force and its Technical Support Unit and approvedby the IPBES Bureau and Multidisciplinary Expert Panel(MEP) as an intersessional activity of IPBES. The dialoguewas supported by the Governments of Norway and Brazil,and by State of Sa˜o Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)through the BIOTA Program.2. The objective of the dialogue was to provide advice on howIPBES might go about developing a ‘‘matchmakingfacility’’ for bringing those who have capacity buildingneeds (whether financial or technical) together with thosewho can help address those needs. Such advice will also berelevant in reporting to the third IPBES Plenary and inplanning the IPBES Capacity Building Forum.3. Participants, deliberately selected to cover a range ofinterests and sectors, were provided a discussion paperwhich set the essential context and provided some ideasfor discussion. This was supplemented by inviting anumber of participants to make brief presentations to‘‘kick start’’ discussion.4. Participants were encouraged to explore the matters inquestion from different angles and ‘‘think outside the box’’,helping to identify new approaches rather than repeatingthe same model unthinkingly. At the time several deliver-ables under the IPBES work programme were still in theearly stages of implementation, and it was recognised thatintergovernmental considerations on how these deliver-ables can best be achieved will benefit from deliberationssuch as the current dialogue.