UNESCO: A World of Science Volume 10, Number 1

This flagship publication focuses on the Natural Sciences Program of UNESCO. The gradual loss of biodiversity is a major concern to the international community, resulting in the adoption of the Nagoya Biodiversity Compact in October 2010. This document showed some ambitious targets to 2020, i.e halving the loss of natural habitats and increasing nature reserves from 12% to 17% of the world’s land area and from 1% to 10% of coastal and marine areas. Governments also agreed in Nagoya on the need to create a body to evaluate progress in reaching these targets. Known as the Intergovernmental Science–Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), this body will be cosponsored by UNESCO, UNEP, FAO and UNDP. The Secretariat’s location should be known in April, when the results of a competitive bidding process are announced at the second IPBES plenary. Newsletter available on the UNESCO site.