UNITED NATIONS UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED STUDIES OPERATING UNIT ISHIKAWA/KANAZAWAOUIK NewsletterVol. 1No. 1July 1, 2012

Greetings from the Director
Kazuhiko TakemotoDirector
United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies
Operating Unit Ishikawa/Kanazawa (UNU-IAS OUIK)I was appointed as director of the Operating Unit Ishikawa/Kanazawa (OUIK) in April 2012
and would like to take this opportunity to introduce my vision as I assume my duties in thisnew role.

In 2008, OUIK was established with the aim of providing local input into international
cooperation efforts in the framework of UNU's research activities. In the research fieldof satoyama and satoumi, OUIK has conducted case studies on sustainable resource
management in Nanao Bay. In regards to research related to cities and biodiversity, it has
shed light on the links between the region's nature and culture and has presented theseresearch results to the international community.
As shown below, OUIK has further clarified its two objectives. To achieve these objectives, it
is committed to collaborating with international organizations and cooperating with local
academic and research institutions to enhance these studies while presenting research
results to the international community. Specifically, OUIK will advance research activities
for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in satoyama and satoumi. In regards
to sustainable primary industries, OUIK will develop research activities that take into
consideration the local knowledge of the Noto region, which was designated as a Globally
Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) site in June 2011. OUIK will also conduct
intensive study on cities and biodiversity focusing on the case of Kanazawa City to provide
research results to the international community, because biodiversity in urban areas wasrecognized as an important field of study at the tenth meeting of the Conference of theParties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD/COP 10).
Thus, in cooperation with people in Ishikawa/Kanazawa, as well as local research
institutions and government agencies, OUIK will be committed to promoting research
activities based on our achievements.
In addition, OUIK will contribute to the international community by providing local input
and building networks with stakeholders while sharing information regarding international
trends toward CBD/COP 11, which will be held in India in October 2012. We invite everyone
to learn more about our activities, and promote further cooperation.

Mr. Kazuhiko Takemoto wasappointed as Senior Fellow ofUNU-IAS in October 2010. He
also holds a position as Senior
Advisor to the Minister of theEnvironment. Prior to these
appointments, he served as ViceMinister for Global Environment
Affairs (2008-2010), DirectorG e n e r a l o f E nv i r o n m e n t a lManagement Bureau, andDeputy Director-General, Global
Environment Bureau, Ministry ofthe Environment.
He also served for CBD/COP10
as its Alternate President (2010),
and as Vice Chair of OECD/
EPOC (2004-07). He received aMaster of International Public
Policy from the Johns Hopkins
University SAIS and Bachelor ofEngineering in Environmental
Planning from the University ofTokyo.

OUIK's Objectives:
1. To contribute to international research activities, in collaboration with local partners, towards
a sustainable society, and2. To develop communication and networks with local stakeholders through public outreach andcapacity building, while sharing information on international trends.

Organizational Framework
Director

Research Activities

Programme Development

Satoyama and Satoumi (SAS)Communication/
Outreach

Sustainable Primary
Industries (SPI)

Capacity Building

Cities and Biodiversity (CAB)

Networking

Overview of the eleventh meeting of the Conference of theParties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD/COP 11)
CBD/COP 11 will be held in Hyderabad, India for a period of two weeks starting from
October 8, 2012.
This conference will focus on discussion of the following topics:(1) The status of implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 forachieving the Aichi Biodiversity Targets;(2) Progress towards enforcement of the Nagoya Protocol;(3) Strategy for resource mobilization;(4) The status of implementation of the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity.
Japan attends the conference as the host country of CBD/COP 10 (Nagoya, Aichi) andcontributes to the progress of the conference as a member of the Conference of Parties.
The International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI) was established at CBD/COP 10, and its secretariat
is located in the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies. The Third IPSI Global Conference (IPSI3) will be organized back-to-back with the CBD/COP 11 in Hyderabad. Members of IPSI from around the world
will participate in this conference to discuss strategies for sustaining and enhancing human-influenced naturalenvironments, for example satoyama in Japan, that people have developed and maintained sustainably over a long
period of time. Ishikawa Prefecture and Kanazawa University are also expected to actively participate in IPSI-3 as IPSImembers.
* For details about IPSI, visit the website http://satoyama-initiative.org.
Issued byUnited Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies Operating Unit Ishikawa/Kanazawa (UNU-IAS OUIK)Siinoki Cultural Complex, Ishikawa Prefecture 3F 2-1-1 Hirosaka, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, JAPAN 920-0962
Tel: 076-224-2266
Fax: 076-224-2271
E-mail: unu-iasouik@ias.unu.edu
http://www.ias.unu.edu