DOC’s international engagement supports conservation of New Zealand’s ecosystems and those we have a shared interest and responsibility for, including Antarctica and the high seas.
International forums help protect ecosystems in New Zealand and around the world.
New Zealand is also engaged in other international bodies to protect ecosystems.
The Intergovernmental Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)
This intergovernmental body assesses the state of the planet's biodiversity, ecosystems and the essential services they provide to society. DOC is the lead agency for this forum.
In April 2020, IPBES released the first Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. The report found that nature is declining globally at rates unprecedented in human history. Around 1 million animal and plant species are threatened with extinction, with grave impacts on people around the world unless we take urgent, transformative actions.
