International Mechanism Of Scientific Expertise on Biodiversity

Meeting at La Serena, Chile

Complementing the South Regional Consultation of the Consultative Process Towards and International Mechanism of Scientific Expertise on Biodiversity (IMoSEB) at Bariloche on 2-3 October, 2006, a further consultation was conducted during the Binational Meeting of the Chilean Ecological Society and Argentinian Association of Ecology at La Serena, Chile on 3 October, 2007, given an overlap in the dates of the La Serena and the Bariloche meetings.

A presentation focusing on the objectives and nature of the IMOSEB program was given by Dr. Mary T. Kalin Arroyo, IMOSEB International Steering Committee and Director of the Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (IEB), Santiago with the aid of panel members, E. Poulin (IEB, Santiago), Drs. Marcelo Aizen (CRUB-UNC, Argentina), Cecilia Smith (IEB, Valdivia), and Julieta Massaferro (CRUB-UNC, Argentina).

Following the presentation, questions from the audience were answered regarding the scope and possible models for IMOSEB. The participants in general welcomed the idea of IMOSEB. Time did not permit a full discussion on the various options for IMoSEB.

However two options – the IPPC model, and a special section in IPPC were mentioned as acceptable possibilities. The organizers were requested to extend the consultation further, given that many Argentinian ecologists were unable to attend the meeting.

The possibility of providing opinions via the IMOSEB Web page for those unable to attend the meeting was outlined.

It was agreed to post the IMOSEB presentation made by MTKA on the IEB webpage (www.ieb-chile.cl) so as to inform additional persons in Chile and Argentina about IMOSEB and of the possibility of providing their opinions directly via the IMOSEB web page (http://www.imoseb.net/regional_consultations/south_america).

Signatures of 194 persons consulted at the La Serena meeting have been forwarded to the IMOSEB office.

More information on www.ieb-chile.cl