The Advisory Committee for Biosphere Reserves discussed (at its 5th meeting 7-10 July 1998) the application of the biosphere reserve concept to urban areas, and concluded that it would be beneficial if a group of MAB experts could be charged with examining this issue. The MAB Council subsequently recommended at in December 1998, that the MAB Secretariat set up a working group. In a MAB circular letter, the Secretary of the MAB Programme, invited MAB National Committees and MAB Focal Points to submit names for a MAB Roster of Experts on the biosphere reserve concept and urban issues. Based on it, the MAB Secretariat established the MAB Urban Group (which held its first meeting on 9 November 2000 during the 16th session of the MAB-ICC.

Core members of the MAB Urban Group (as of December 2003)

The MAB Urban Roster (as of December 2000)
The roster is composed of names of experts on the biosphere reserve concept and urban issues, submitted by UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme National Committees and Focal Points and by international partners to the Secretariat. Here is a list of experts as of December 2000.