Statement by Ambassador Norihiro Okuda,
Permanent Mission of Japan
Special meeting of General Assembly on the occasion of
the International Day of Mother Earth
22nd April 2010
Mr. President
Excellencies,
Let me express my appreciation for convening this special meeting on the occasion the
International Day of Mother Earth. According to the Japanese NGO “Earth Day Japan,”
36 Events are organized today all over Japan to celebrate 40th anniversary of “Earth Day.”
International Mother Earth Day is an important opportunity to raise awareness of the need
for environmental protection throughout the communities. Global warming and loss of the
biodiversity are among the myriad major challenges facing us.
(Climate Change)
Mr. President,
This meeting is a very good occasion for us to deepen our understanding of our common
but differentiated responsibilities to protect the planet for our future generations. The challenges
before us are so enormous that immediate actions are required on the part of international
community, particularly in the field of climate change. We should move the negotiations under
UNFCCC forward.
The Copenhagen Accord was an important first step towards an international binding agreement
to establish a fair and effective framework on climate change. I would like to emphasize the
significance of this Accord which includes, inter alia, mitigation actions by all countries and
enhanced funding. 119 Countries have already associated themselves with the Accord. Broad
support for the Accord will contribute to enhancing the negotiation process.
(Biological Diversity)
Mr. President,
The fourth assessment report of the IPCC predicted that 30% of our planet’s species would be
at an increasing risk of extinction if the current global warming trend continues. Therefore the
protection of biodiversity is an urgent challenge for us as well as the future generations of mankind.
The International Year of Biodiversity in 2010 provides us with a good opportunity to strengthen
our efforts to reduce the current rate of biodiversity loss. In this sense, I hope that the high-level
meeting on biodiversity on 22 September will contribute to creating political momentum for
mainstreaming the protection of biodiversity.
In October, Japan will host the COP10 of the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) in the city
of Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture. We will continue with the preparation process in close cooperation
with a wide range of stakeholders in order to ensure a successful COP10. We are fully committed
to making our contribution so that ambitious, realistic and action-oriented post-2010 biodiversity
targets could be established.
I would like to conclude my remarks by introducing the Japanese proposal for the long-term target;
“Enhancing the harmony between human beings and nature all around the world, to improve the state
of biodiversity from the current level as well as to sustainably increase the benefits of ecosystem
services.”
Thank you.
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