4 February 2011: The Japanese Mission has organized a briefing at UN Headquarters in New York, US, on the outcomes of the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 10) to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Ambassador Shigeki Sumi, Japan, opened the 4 February briefing by recalling COP 10’s major achievements including the Strategic Plan on Biodiversity and Aichi Biodiversity Targets, the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS), the Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, and the UN Decade on Biodiversity.
Ahmed Djoglaf, CBD Executive Secretary, praised the Japanese for their leadership and noted that additional briefings will take place in Geneva and Nairobi this February. He also lauded the Japanese contribution of US$2 billion over three years to implement the Aichi targets, and their biodiversity fund of 1 billion Yen dedicated towards ABS activities alongside the Global Environment Facility’s (GEF) contribution of US$1 million to ensure the Protocol’s early entry in force. He noted that the Nagoya Protocol was opened for signature on 2 February and has been signed by Colombia, Yemen, Brazil and Algeria.
CBD Senior Programme Officer for the Interagency and Programme Coordination, David Cooper, and Atsuhiro Yoshinaka, Global Coordinator of Japan Fund, discussed the Strategic Plan. Cooper discussed seven Aichi Biodiversity Targets, and highlighted their focus on: increasing awareness on the value of and steps to conserve biodiversity; minimizing habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation and anthropogenic pressures on ecosystems; and ensuring adoption and effective implementation of the Nagoya Protocol and national biodiversity strategies and action plans.
CBD Head of ABS Protocol Office, Valerie Normand, provided an overview of the Nagoya Protocol, and stressed its fundamental principles of sovereign rights over natural resources, prior informed consent and mutually agreed terms. Normand said the next steps include convening an open-ended intergovernmental committee, from 6-10 June 2011, to prepare for the first COP/MOP, and raising awareness and capacity building activities during the next biennium.
Charles Gbedemah, Senior Environmental Affairs Officer and Head of the Biosafety Unit, explained that the Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress follows an administrative approach for addressing damage from living modified organisms, focuses on defining “damage” in reference to biodiversity, and develops response measures and civil liability rules and procedures. He noted that the supplemental protocol will be opened for signature on 7 March 2011.
On the UN Decade on Biodiversity, Yoshinaka called for implementation of the Strategic Plan and Aichi Targets at the regional, national and international levels and for providing guidance to regional and international organizations. He highlighted the need for increased public awareness of biodiversity issues and reported that the global launch of the UN Decade on Biodiversity will take place at the UN University in May.
Djoglaf closed the briefing and invited participants to attend the signing ceremony for the Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress on 7 March. [IISD RS Sources] [Nagoya Protocol on ABS] [Strategic Plan] [United Nations Decade on Biodiversity 2011-2020 press release]