OUIK promoted the Ishikawa Declaration as an outcome of the 1st Asian Conference of BCD at COP 13, held in Mexico. First, UNU-IAS Senior Visiting Professor Kazuhiko Takeuchi, when attending Working Group 1 meeting held on December 5 as Special Representative of UNU Rector, made a statement on the 1st Asian Conference of BCD and its outcomes to an audience. He stated that Ishikawa serves as an important platform to creat synergies between international designation systems such as GIAHS and BRs, and that such movements to utilize local resources linked to biocultural diversity can contribute to both local revitalization and the actions toward Aichi Targets. The full text of his speech is available on the SCBD website .
Additionally, at the high level session of the forum titled “Summit Muchtanbal on Indigenous Experience: Traditional Knowledge and Biological and Cultural Diversity,” held from October 9 through 11, OUIK Director Watanabe presented the Ishikawa Declaration. He stressed especially how important it is to develop capacities for sustainable use of biocultural diversity, to efficiently implement international designation systems, and to maintain platforms that spark dialogues and partnerships for mainstreaming biocultural diversity into sustainable development. He also reported that OUIK and Ishikawa are working together on efficient operation of the GIAHS and BR toward achieving the Aichi Targets by 2020.
In a case study session, OUIK Office Manager Mikiko Nagai delivered a report titled “Learning platform and educational tourism: Promoting and Strengthening links between Biological and Cultural Diversity” . The presentation summarized a GIAHS international cooperation program held by Ishikawa Pref., as well as a training program for BR practitioners from the Asian region held inside Mount Hakusan BR in fiscal 2016. She also presented the Satoyama Tea Ceremony, an environmental learning event for children held by local community. It was proposed that such grassroots initiatives be combined with international educational exchange opportunities, and that, for Ishikawa to become a “living classroom on biocultural diversity”, OUIK serve as a node by helping to create mechanisms that provide shared learning opportunities between Ishikawa and Asia.
In the same forum, a representative of the SCBD announced that, following the 1st Asian Conference, North American conference on BCD in 2018 is being considered by the American Museum of Natural History and its collaborators.
At the COP13 venue: Dr.Dias holding the Ishikawa Declaration (third from the right)
