A central objective of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is to provide States, the private sector and civil society with scientifically credible, independent and up-to-date assessments of available knowledge in order to make better informed decisions and actions at the local, national, regional and international levels.

This Global Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services was conducted by nearly 150 selected experts from all regions of the world, including 16 early career researchers, assisted by 350 contributing authors. Over 15,000 scientific publications were analyzed, as well as a considerable body of indigenous and local knowledge. Its chapters were accepted, and its summary for decision makers was approved, by the more than 130 governments that form the members of IPBES, at the seventh session of the IPBES plenary (from 29 April to 4 May 2019), hosted by France at UNESCO's premises in Paris.

This report represents a major assessment, the first in nearly 15 years (since the publication of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment in 2005) and the first ever by an intergovernmental body, of the state and trends of the natural world, the social implications of these trends, their social implications, their direct and indirect causes, and, importantly, the actions that can still be taken to ensure a better future for all. These complex relationships were assessed using a very simple and very inclusive framework that should resonate with a large number of stakeholders in that it recognizes different worldviews, values, and knowledge systems.