In conjunction with opening of the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 10, 18-29 October, 2010, Nagoya, Japan), the Northwest Pacific Region Environmental Cooperation Centre (the host of the NOWPAP Special Monitoring and Coastal Environmental Assessment Regional Activity Centre), organized the Marine Biodiversity Forum in the Northwest Pacific Region on 16 October 2010 in Toyama, Japan. Sponsored by the Toyama Prefectural Government, this forum, organized as a side event of the CBD COP10, was attended by representatives of UNEP Marine and Coastal Ecosystems Branch, Pacific Regional Environmental Programme, Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem project, several research institutions in Japan, together with some international students from Nagoya University and local citizens. NOWPAP has been actively involved in the preparation of the forum in terms of providing advice on the meeting programme, identifying international speakers and contributing a presentation introducing NOWPAP activities on marine biodiversity in the region since 2007.
Being a part of the UNEP Regional Seas Programme (RSP), NOWPAP RCU has been requested to help organizing another CBD COP10 side event on 19 October 2010 where UNEP launched its Global Outlook, a series of the reports from the Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans as well as global synthesis of the Marine Biodiversity Assessment. NOWPAP has contributed to the global outlook, together with the other 17 regions around the world through providing the necessary information and analysis. Joint efforts by RSP headquarters and NOWPAP RCU staff in the field have made the launch a successful event. RCU staff has also helped with translation of news releases for some other UNEP side events. During the CBD COP10, a UNEP booth was set up with the help of NOWPAP RCU staff to promote UNEP and Regional Seas Programmes activities related to biodiversity, including NOWPAP. The booth has attracted public attention, receiving a few dozen of visitors every day.
