Japan opens COP10 high level segment with $2 billion pledge

The Pacific Voyage Media Team, 27 October Nagoya Japan -

The high-level ministerial segment of the 10th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP10) to the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) opened this morning with a multi-billion-dollar announcement by the host.

Prime Minister, Naoto Kan, announced that Japan would provide US$2 billion to assist partner countries to meet post 2010 targets of the CBD.

The money will be provided over three years beginning in 2010, Mr. Kan told the meeting at the Century Hall of the Nagoya Congress Centre.

The Prime Minister said the loss of biodiversity was in a manner unprecedented in speed and scale.

“Unfortunately, this ongoing mass extinction is being caused mainly by the activities of us human beings,” he said.  “If this destruction continues at its current pace, the abundant gift of nature that human beings have been enjoying will be lost forever.”

This means the existence of people could be threatened, the meeting heard.

“Our generation must resist the ongoing extinction and bequeath to future generations our rich and abundant earth – the most precious planet in the entire universe.”

COP 10 which ends Friday aims to develop a new strategy to halt the decline of biodiversity.

For nearly two weeks, hundreds of negotiators have been trying to reach an agreement on some 20 dossiers, the most important ones being Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) and financing for the new Strategic Plan.

The high-level segment attended by ministers and heads of states will attempt to iron out the complications on issues where no agreement has been reached.

A number of Ministers from the Pacific islands are in attendance.

Among them is the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment from Samoa, Faumuina Tiatia Liuga, who is scheduled to make a statement this afternoon.

Mr. Kan said it is essential for Parties to agree to upon post 2010 targets.

“To reach an agreement on a global common goal, I ask for the cooperation of everyone of you,” he said.  “We also need to aim to adopt a protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing of genetic resources.”

Mr Kan concluded: “Let us act together to pass an energetic earth on to the future generations.”