Summary

The head of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Technical Support Unit (TSU) for the assessment of Invasive Alien Species (IAS) opened the session by providing some background on the IAS report, which was compiled by 86 experts over four years and released in September 2023. The first two presenters, both of whom were involved in producing the report, drew attention to the negative impacts of IAS on food security, human health and the economy. They also presented approaches for managing IAS, such as prevention, preparedness, eradication, containment and control. Both presenters agreed that effective IAS management can be achieved through strong political will and integrated governance that focuses on partnerships, collaboration and coordination. The third presenter, who represented the Indonesian government, provided the context for IAS, as Indonesia (187), the Philippines (148), and Malaysia (145) have the most IAS in the ASEAN region. Because of the severe problems in Indonesia’s national parks, the government is leading efforts to combat IAS by employing integrated governance and developing an action plan for ASEAN. The fourth presenter, who represented the Japanese Government, told the audience about the steps being taken in Japan to manage IAS, such as involving the private sector, developing new regulations, and highlighting IAS issues at the G7 workshop. Question and answer sessions were conducted at different points during the session, including one that involved questions from the audience.