individual targets up to 2015 or 2020 were adopted. The term “Aichi Biodiversity Targets” formally refers to the 20 individual targets. However, the term is conventionally used to collectively refer to the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets as a whole. Therefore, for the purpose of convenience, the term “Aichi Biodiversity Targets” will be used to indicate the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets as a whole.

To halt the loss of biodiversity, avoid tipping points, restore biodiversity, and pass the world down in a healthy state to future generations, the Aichi Biodiversity Targets must be achieved. At the 65th United Nations General Assembly, held in December 2010, it was decided that the ten years from 2011 through 2020 would be the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity, during which all sectors of the international community would collaborate to tackle issues of biodiversity and help achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.

Japan will serve as the Presidency of COP 10 until the start of COP 11, to be held in Hyderabad (India) for October 8–19, 2012. Japan will enhance domestic measures to revive its National Biodiversity Strategy to achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, both from the standpoint of the COP 10 Presidency and as one of the Parties. Japan will also actively make international contributions, such as supporting capacity building in developing countries and promoting the Satoyama Initiative, based on the concept of living in harmony with nature, which has been cultivated in Japan since ancient times. Details on Japan's international contributions will be described in the next section.

Figure 4-4-1 Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 (Aichi Biodiversity Targets)

Long-term targets (Vision) 2050
○A world of “living in harmony with nature”
○A world in which, by 2050 biodiversity is valued, conserved, restored, and wisely used, maintaining ecosystem services, sustaining a healthy earth and delivering benefits essential for all people.
Short-term targets (Mission) 2020
To take effective and urgent action to halt the loss of biodiversity
◇This will ensure that by 2020 ecosystems are resilient and continue to provide essential services, thereby securing the earth’s variety of life while contributing to human well-being and poverty eradication.

## ■ Individual targets

Target 1: People are aware of the values of biodiversity and the steps they can take
Target 2: Biodiversity values have been integrated into national and local development strategies, and are being incorporated into national accounting, as appropriate, and reporting system
Target 3: Incentives, including subsidies, harmful to biodiversity are eliminated, phased out or reformed, and positive incentives are developed and applied
Target 4: All stakeholders implement plans for sustainable production and consumption
Target 5: The rate of loss of all natural habitats, including forests, is at least halved and where feasible brought close to zero, and degradation and fragmentation is significantly reduced
Target 6: All fisheries resources are managed and harvested sustainably
Target 7: Agriculture, aquaculture and forestry are managed sustainably
Target 8: Pollution has been brought to levels that are not detrimental
Target 9: Invasive alien species are controlled or eradicated
Target 10: Adverse affects on coral reefs and other ecosystems impacted by climate change or ocean acidification are minimized

Source: Ministry of the Environment

## 2 Initiatives to Provide Support

## (1) The Life in Harmony initiative

Based on the Aichi Biodiversity Targets adopted at COP 10, the Parties are expected to steadily address various issues to achieve the targets through efforts such as revising

the National Biodiversity. However, initiatives are actually being delayed in developing countries due to insufficient scientific knowledge and experience, or insufficient awareness among government bodies of the significance of conserving biodiversity.

To resolve this situation, then Prime Minister Naoto Kan announced the Life in Harmony initiative at the COP 10 High-Level Segment (ministerial-level meeting), to support the efforts of developing countries to achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets (with a total of two billion dollars to be provided over three years starting in 2010). Through this initiative, Japan will make an international contribution to achieving the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, particularly by providing support in the: (1) improving countries' ability to administer natural reserves using Japanese management techniques in national parks; (2) promoting sustainable use of natural resources in conjunction with the Satoyama Initiative; and (3) facilitating access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing in a way such as establishment of establishes conservation and culturing techniques for microbes.

Minister of the Environment Ryu Matsumoto, who served as the President of COP 10. The purpose of the fund is to support capacity building in developing countries to achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets through the SCBD. The fund was established within the SCBD, and Japan provided one billion yen and four billion yen in 2010 and 2011, respectively.

To achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, the most important issues for the Parties are to set their national targets, based on the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and incorporated into the National Biodiversity Strategy to strengthen biodiversity-related countermeasures. In response to this, a project was launched primarily targeting developing countries to improve capacity and support the revision of the National Biodiversity Strategy using JBF. Since March 2011, fifteen regional capacity building workshops have been held around the world, attended by a total of more than 650 government officials from 162 Parties to the convention (Figure 4-4-2).

## (2) The Japan Biodiversity Fund

As a part of the Life in Harmony initiative, the Japan Biodiversity Fund (JBF) was announced by the then

Through the series of workshops, important perspectives for reviewing or revising the National Biodiversity Strategy for the and good practices were introduced, and there

Figure 4-4-2 Workshop to Support Amendment of the National Strategy using JBF (2011)

Reference: Ministry of the Environment