Japan News: Banned Japanese whalers expect Southern Ocean hunt to resume (12 April 2014)

Banned Japanese whalers expect Southern Ocean hunt to resume

The Institute of Cetacean Research has indicated that whaling could resume despite the International Court of Justice ruling

A Japanese whaling vessel with a minke whale in the Southern Ocean. Photograph: Glenn Lockitch/AFP/Getty Images

Japan expects that its whaling program in the Southern Ocean will resume next year, court documents indicate.

The International Court of Justice last month ruled the program invalid, finding that it was a commercial activity disguised as scientific research.

Japanese leaders have said the country plans to abide by the ruling, but the Institute of Cetacean Research has indicated that whaling could resume in a different format.

In a memorandum lodged in a US lawsuit against the anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd, the institute says whaling permits would not be issued for the 2014-15 season because of the ICJ decision, but they could be issued in the following summer.

"Plaintiffs expect that they will be conducting a Southern Ocean research program for subsequent seasons that would be in accord with the ICJ decision," the memorandum says.

Australian Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson said the federal government needed to take action to ensure the ICJ decision was enforced.

"The prime minister needs to immediately issue a public statement that he will not accept a return to Southern Ocean whaling and will pursue all legal avenues to prevent it happening," he said on Saturday.

source from: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/apr/12/banned-japanese-whalers-expect-southern-ocean-hunt-to-resume

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Event: Seminar by Hiro Lee: Agricultural Policy Reforms and the Implications of Trans-Pacific Partnership for Japan (25 April 2014)

Seminar by Hiro Lee: Agricultural Policy Reforms and the Implications of Trans-Pacific Partnership for Japan

ADBI, Tokyo : 25 April 2014

This seminar will examine welfare effects and the extent of sectoral adjustments under the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement from the perspective of Japan. The results of CGE model simulations suggest that by 2030 Japan's welfare gain would exceed 1.5%, but output of some agricultural products would contract sharply. If agricultural policy reforms lead to an improvement in productivity of agricultural sectors, the extent of output contraction would be reduced significantly except for dairy products. This suggests the importance of carrying out agricultural policy reforms in Japan for region-wide trade accords.

source from: http://www.adb.org/news/events/seminar-hiro-lee-agricultural-policy-reforms-and-implications-trans-pacific-partnership

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Japan News: Summary of import/export of wastes under the Waste Management Law in 2013 (4 April 2014)

Summary of import/export of wastes under the Waste Management Law in 2013

The Ministry of the Environment has published a summary of export confirmations and import permissions of wastes for the period between January and December of 2013 under the Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law. The number of export confirmations and import permissions of wastes were 38 cases and 11 cases, respectively. Total amount of export and import of wastes were 1,464,763 tons and 1,988 tons, respectively. All of the exported wastes were ash from coal fired power plants destined for cement production in the Republic of Korea and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Imported wastes included waste batteries and waste iodine-containing catalytic substances, which were received from Taiwan and the Republic of Korea for the purpose of resource recovery.

source from: http://www.env.go.jp/en/headline/headline.php?serial=2075

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Japan News: Summary of import/export of hazardous wastes under the Basel Convention on the control of transboundary movement of hazardous wastes and their disposal and its domestic laws in 2013 (2 April 2014)

Summary of import/export of hazardous wastes under the Basel Convention on the control of transboundary movement of hazardous wastes and their disposal and its domestic laws in 2013

The Ministry of the Environment has published the status of the enforcement of the Law for the Control of Export, Import and Others of Specified Hazardous Wastes and Other Wastes (the domestic law to comply with the Basel Convention on the control of transboundary movement of hazardous wastes and their disposal) for the period between January and December of 2013. The number of export and import cases of specified hazardous wastes for which movement documents were issued were 1,019 cases (totaling 200,307 tons) and 387 cases (totaling 32,222 tons), respectively. Exported specified hazardous wastes included lead scrap (lead battery), galvanic sludge and coal ash, etc., which were sent to the Republic of Korea, the Kingdom of Belgium and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, etc., for the purpose of recycling operations.
Imported specified hazardous wastes included printed circuit board scrap, galvanic sludge and battery scrap (nickel-cadmium battery etc.), etc., most of which were received from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Republic of the Philippines and Taiwan for the purpose of metal recovery. 

source from: http://www.env.go.jp/en/headline/headline.php?serial=2074

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Japan News: Public Comments are Invited Regarding the "Proposal for the Registration of Withholding Standards for Agricultural Chemicals" （2 April 2014)

Public Comments are Invited Regarding the "Proposal for the Registration of Withholding Standards for Agricultural Chemicals"

The MOE is inviting public comments regarding the "Proposal for the Registration of Withholding Standards for Agricultural Chemicals". Comments will be accepted from March 31, 2014 to April 30, 2014.
The proposal will establish the registration withholding standards for the prevention of damage to aquatic animals and plants for 13 agricultural chemicals (ethephon, chinomethionat, cumyluron, cyanazine, cymoxanil, tolprocarb, validamycin A, bifenthrin, pyroxasulfone, fenarimol, mandestrobin, myclobutanil, mepiquat chloride).
This standard will be established under Paragraph 2, Article 3 of the Agricultural Chemicals Regulation Law.
All procedures related to this invitation will be conducted in Japanese and comments must also be submitted in Japanese.
For further information, please visit the MOE's website, http://www.env.go.jp/info/iken.html (in Japanese only). 

source from: http://www.env.go.jp/en/headline/headline.php?serial=2070

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Japan News: Public Comments Invited regarding Approval of Type 1 Use Regulation of Living Modified Organisms (3 March 2013)

Public Comments Invited regarding Approval of Type 1 Use Regulation of Living Modified Organisms

The Ministry of the Environment (MOE) received 2 applications for approval of the conditions (the organism' name, the contents of the use, etc.) concerning the use of Living Modified Organisms submitted by the applicants ("Type 1 Use Regulation") in accordance with the Law Concerning the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity through Regulations on the Use of Living Modified Organisms (Law No. 97 of 2003).
The MOE intends to approve these "Regulations," recognizing that the use of the organisms would have no adverse effects that could pose an unacceptable risk of impairment to the preservation of species or populations of wild fauna or flora, and that no other adverse effect on biological diversity could arise. This judgment was made taking into account the content of consultation with experts.

The MOE invites comments from the public, regarding the approval of the Regulations. Comments will be accepted from February 28 to March 29, 2014.
All procedures related to this invitation for public comments will be conducted in Japanese. Comments need to be submitted in Japanese.

For further information, please visit the Ministry of the Environment web page (in Japanese) (http://www.env.go.jp/info/iken.html). 


sourec from: http://www.env.go.jp/en/headline/headline.php?serial=2064

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Event: Distinguished Speaker Seminar: Robert Aliber - The Source of Financial Crises (18 March 2014)

Distinguished Speaker Seminar: Robert Aliber - The Source of Financial Crises

ADBI, Tokyo, Japan : 18 March 2014

Robert Aliber will provide insights from his new book on financial crises. The last three decades has seen four waves of financial crises in 1982, 1990, 1997, and 2008. Each wave was preceded by an economic boom and investment inflow that resulted in the rise of currency and securities prices and an increase in household wealth. Furthermore, the crises of recent decades have been characterized by a currency crisis associated with a banking crisis.
ADBI website


source from: http://www.adb.org/news/events/distinguished-speaker-seminar-robert-aliber-source-financial-crises

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Japan News: Announcement on approved certification application for low-contaminated PCB waste (3 March 2014)

Announcement on approved certification application for low-contaminated PCB waste

To promote the appropriate treatment of PCB waste, the MOE implemented a certification system for businesses detoxifying low-contaminated PCB waste using sophisticated technologies in compliance with Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law.
The Minister announced that the application for the certification submitted by OHNO DEVELOPMENT CO.,LTD. was approved on February 27, 2014. For further details, please visit http://www.env.go.jp/press/press.php?serial=17816


source from: http://www.env.go.jp/en/headline/headline.php?serial=2063

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Japan News: Revision of Basic Policy on Promoting Green Purchasing and Results of Public Comments (5 Feb 2014)

 Revision of Basic Policy on Promoting Green Purchasing and Results of Public Comments

Under the Law concerning the Promotion of Procurement of Eco-Friendly Goods and Services by the State and Other Entities (Law on Promoting Green Purchasing), the MOE of Japan has announced that the revision of the Basic Policy on Promoting Green Purchasing was approved at the Cabinet Meeting.
In this revision, a new item (meeting operation) was added to the list of designated procurement items. Also, Evaluation Criteria and Factors for Consideration of 35 items were partly revised. As a result, the total number of designated procurement items is now 267 in 19 different fields. The existing items and their evaluation criteria will be reviewed annually based on the schedule for the next 5 years which was created in 2013.
Also, the MOE of Japan had compiled the draft of the revision of the designated procurement items and their evaluation criteria. Public comments on this draft were received from November 12 to December 10, 2013. The overview of the comments and MOE's corresponding responses are announced. 

source from: http://www.env.go.jp/en/headline/headline.php?serial=2057

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Japan News: Announcement of the revision of the Basic Policy concerning the Promotion of Contracts considering Reduction of Emissions of Greenhouse Gases and others by the State and Other Entities (4 Feb 2014)

Announcement of the revision of the Basic Policy concerning the Promotion of Contracts considering Reduction of Emissions of Greenhouse Gases and others by the State and Other Entities 

A draft of the Basic Policy concerning the Promotion of Contracts considering Reduction of Emissions of Greenhouse Gases and Others by the State and Other Entities, which is based on the law concerning the Promotion of Contracts considering Reduction of Emissions of Greenhouse Gases and Others by the State and Other Entities (Green Contract Law), was compiled by the MOE with experts. Public comments on this draft of the Basic Policy were received from November 12 to December 10, 2013.

Finally the revision of the Basic Policy was adopted by the Cabinet on February 4th, 2014.

The main revised part is the added description in the article of ESCO. It is added that the room for the introduction of ESCO project shall be verified when a facility is planned for repairing and/or improving the main equipment.

For further information, please visit the Ministry of the Environment web page (in Japanese) 

source from: http://www.env.go.jp/en/headline/headline.php?serial=2056

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Japan News: Public Comments are Invited Regarding the "Proposal for the Registration of Withholding Standards for Agricultural Chemicals" (3 Feb 2014)

Public Comments are Invited Regarding the "Proposal for the Registration of Withholding Standards for Agricultural Chemicals" 

The MOE is inviting public comments regarding the "Proposal for the Registration of Withholding Standards for Agricultural Chemicals". Comments will be accepted from February 3, 2014 to March 6, 2014. 
The proposal will establish the registration withholding standards for the prevention of damage to aquatic animals and plants for 8 agricultural chemicals (diethofencarb, cyhalofop-butyl, diazinon, pymetrozine, butralin, prochloraz, prothiofos, metribuzin). 
This standard will be established under Paragraph 2, Article 3 of the Agricultural Chemicals Regulation Law. 
All procedures related to this invitation will be conducted in Japanese and comments must also be submitted in Japanese. 
For further information, please visit the MOE's website, http://www.env.go.jp/info/iken.html (in Japanese only). 

source from:http://www.env.go.jp/en/headline/headline.php?serial=2055

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Japan News: Public Comments Invited Regarding the "Proposal for the Registration Withholding-Standards for Agricultural Chemicals Concerning Water Pollution" (2 Feb 2014)

Public Comments Invited Regarding the "Proposal for the Registration Withholding-Standards for Agricultural Chemicals Concerning Water Pollution" (2 Feb 2014)

The MOE is inviting public comments regarding the "Proposal for the Registration of Withholding Standards for Agricultural Chemicals concerning Water Pollution". Comments will be accepted from February 3, 2014 to March 6, 2014. 
The proposal will establish the registration of withholding standards on water pollution for 3 agricultural chemicals (cyantraniliprole,fenoxasulfone,fenpyroximate). 
This standard will be established under Paragraph 2, Article 3 of the Agricultural Chemicals Regulation Law. 
All procedures related to this invitation will be conducted in Japanese and comments must be submitted in Japanese. 
For further information, please visit the MOE's website at http://www.env.go.jp/info/iken.html (in Japanese only). 

source from:http://www.env.go.jp/en/headline/headline.php?serial=2054

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Book: The Ethics of Japan's Global Environmental Policy The conflict between principles and practice (Jan 2014)

The Ethics of Japan's Global Environmental Policy

The conflict between principles and practice

By Midori Kagawa-Fox

Routledge – 2012

Series: Routledge Contemporary Japan Series

This book examines the Japanese government policies that impact on the environment in order to determine whether they incorporate a sufficient ethical substance. Through the three case studies on whaling, nuclear energy, and forestry, the author explores how Western philosophers combined their theories to develop a ‘Western environmental ethics code’ and reveals the existence of a unique ‘Japanese environmental ethics code’ built on Japan’s cultural traditions, religious practices, and empirical experiences.

Kagawa-Fox’s discussions show that in spite of the positive contributions that Japan has made towards the global environment, the government has failed to show a corresponding moral obligation to the world ecology in its environmental policy. The book argues that this is a result of the integrity of the policies having been compromised by vested interests and that Japanese business and politics ensure that the policies are primarily focused on maintaining sustainable economic growth. Whilst Japan's global environmental initiatives are the key to its economic survival in the 21st century, and these initiatives may achieve their aims, they do however fail the Japanese code of environmental ethics.

This book is essential reading for anyone interested in Environmental Studies, Environmental Policy and Ethics, Japanese Politics and Japanese Culture and Society.

for more information:http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9781138017115/

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Japan News: Announcement on the certification system application for business detoxifying waste low-contaminated PCB waste (24 Jan 2014)

Announcement on the certification system application for business detoxifying waste low-contaminated PCB waste

January 21, 2014

To promote the appropriate treatment of PCB waste, the MOE implemented a certification system for businesses detoxifying waste low-contaminated PCB waste using sophisticated technologies in compliance with Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law.
The Minister has announced today that an application has been submitted by UNITED KEIKAKU CO.,LTD. Their application documents will be open for public inspection for 1 month, from January 21 to February 20, 2014. Stakeholders interested in the relevant facilities may submit their comments to the Minister from the perspective of life environment conservation by March 6, 2014. All comments should be submitted in Japanese. 

For further details, please visit http://www.env.go.jp/press/press.php?serial=17640 

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Japan News: The Result of Enhanced Monitoring Activities for Prevention of Illegal Export and Import of Wastes by the Regional Environment Offices during the Reduce, Reuse and Recycle (3R) Promotion Month (21 Jan 2014)

• The Result of Enhanced Monitoring Activities for Prevention of Illegal Export and Import of Wastes by the Regional Environment Offices during the Reduce, Reuse and Recycle (3R) Promotion Month

Enhanced monitoring activities for prevention of illegal export and import of wastes by Regional Environment Offices (REO), Ministry of the Environment (MOE) were undertaken in cooperation with Customs as part of activities of the 3R Promotion Month this past October.

The result of the activities is as follows:

1.The result of enhanced monitoring activities for prevention of illegal export and import of wastes.
(1) Joint inspection of dubious cargos by REO and Customs
(2) Site inspection to exporters' cargos of which relevant documents have already been submitted for pre-application consultation service by REO
(3) Dissemination of regulations and legal framework to control export and import of waste and pre-application consultation service
a. Distribution of brochures and information materials
b. Seminar on export and import of waste for exporters and importers

MOE keeps on enhancing monitoring of wastes to prevent illegal export and import of waste in cooperation with Customs and disseminating information on control of export and import of waste through various opportunities such as seminars. 

source from: 

http://www.env.go.jp/en/headline/headline.php?serial=2044

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Japan News: Submission of 1st Biennial Report and 6th National Communication Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (21 Jan 2014)

• Submission of 1st Biennial Report and 6th National Communication Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

• 

In accordance with the Cancun Accord and the Durban Decision under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, developed country parties, including Japan, shall submit their 1st Biennial Report (BR1), which includes policies and measures on mitigation actions of each country, to the secretariat by 1 January 2014. These parties also shall submit their 6th National Communication (NC6) under the UNFCCC by the same date.
The Ministry of the Environment developed BR1 and NC6 based on the Japan's new greenhouse gas emission reduction target (3.8% emission reduction in 2020 compared to the 2005 level), which was registered to the secretariat this November. 

• Submission of 1st Biennial Report and 6th National Communication Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
• Japan's 1st Biennial Report
• Japan's 6th National Communication(Chapter 1)
• Japan's 6th National Communication(Chapter 2-8)

source from: http://www.env.go.jp/en/headline/headline.php?serial=2045

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Event: A "Normal" Japan? Comparisons with South Korea, China, and ASEAN (21 Jan 2012)

• Event Speakers

Original Image by FutureAtlas

Changes in Japanese foreign policy over the past two decades have led to a rise in the concept of a “normal” Japan.  What constitutes a normal state, however, has led to confusion. The Wilson Center’s Japan scholar and Keio University political science professor Yoshihide Soeya argues that the changes to date have happened within the postwar framework rooted in the so-called peace constitution and the U.S.-Japan security treaty. He notes, though, that the evolution has been opaque because frustrations directed against these parameters have provided incentives for change without necessarily shaking the framework itself fundamentally.

Soeya argues that ASEAN understands this through its experiences with Japan in the past decades.  Japan's relations with South Korea, however, have been shaken by a paradox in the relationship, where the more their diplomatic agenda and interests converge the stronger the resistance gets against such convergence.  Meanwhile, he states that a similar paradox exists in Sino-Japanese relations as well, where deeper interdependence on the economic front has required the Chinese leadership to keep distance from Japan by taking advantage of the so-called history problem, particularly for strengthening its legitimacy as the victor against the Japanese militarism.

We hope you will be able to join us for this discussion on Japan’s changing foreign policy. 

LOCATION: 

6th Floor, Woodrow Wilson Center

DIRECTIONS TO THE WILSON CENTER

Event Speakers List: 

• Yoshihide Soeya // Japan Scholar
  Director, Institute of East Asian Studies and Professor of Political Science, Faculty of Law, Keio University, Japan

  
  

  more information: http://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/normal-japan-comparisons-south-korea-china-and-asean

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Japan News: Announcement on approved certification application for low-contaminated PCB waste (19 Jan 2014)

 Announcement on approved certification application for low-contaminated PCB waste

To promote the appropriate treatment of PCB waste, the MOE implemented a certification system for businesses detoxifying low-contaminated PCB waste using sophisticated technologies in compliance with Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law.
The Minister announced that the application for the certification submitted by ECOLOGISTA Co.,Ltd. was approved on December 26, 2013.

 For further details, please visithttp://www.env.go.jp/press/press.php?serial=17551 

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Japan News: Japan's National Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Fiscal Year 2012 (19 Nov 2013)

Japan's National Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Fiscal Year 2012 (Preliminary Figures)

The Ministry of the Environment summarized Japan’s National Greenhouse Gas Emissions (preliminary figures 1) in fiscal year (FY) 2012. Total emissions in FY2012 (preliminary figures) were 1,341 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (Mt CO2 eq.), a 6.3% increase 2 compared to those of the base year. Compared to those of FY2011, the emissions increased by 2.5%. Consequently, if the forest carbon sink measures target 3 is achieved and Kyoto mechanisms credits 4are taken into account, the five-year average for total emissions during the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol (FY2008-FY2012) shows an 8.2% 5 decrease compared to the total emissions of the base year; therefore, it is estimated that Japan will have achieved its target for the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol (-6% below base year level).

Japan’s total greenhouse gas emissions in FY2012 (preliminary figures) were 1,341 Mt CO2 eq. The emissions increased by 6.3 % (79.8 Mt CO2 eq.) compared to those of the base year under the Kyoto Protocol (FY1990 for CO2, CH4, N2O, and calendar year (CY) 1995 for HFCs, PFCs, SF6).

Total emissions increased by 2.5% (33.2 Mt CO2 eq.) when compared to those of FY2011 (1,308 Mt CO2eq.), mainly due to an increase in CO2 emissions from power generation. The main driver for the rise in emissions in FY2012 as compared to FY2011 is the increased fossil fuel consumption in response to the expansion of thermal power generation since the Great East Japan Earthquake, despite the decrease in manufacturing production and the widespread implementation of power saving measures across each sector.

1 Concerning the estimation of the preliminary figures: this estimation of greenhouse gas emissions is based on annual data compiled from statistics from a variety of sources - however, some of these data are not yet available. For such data - for which FY2012 values are not available - the FY2011 values were used to estimate the preliminary figures. Therefore, there may be some differences in the preliminary figures reported here when compared to the final figures to be reported in April 2014.

2 Concerning the increase in actual total emissions compared to the base year: the value “6.3% increase” does not take into account either the promotion of forest carbon sink measures or the Kyoto mechanisms credits.

3 Forest carbon sink measures target: about 3.8% (47.67Mt CO2/yr) of the base year emissions according to the Kyoto Protocol Target Achievement Plan.

4 Kyoto mechanisms credits:
Acquired by the Government: Total credits that were contracted as of FY2012 year-end through the Kyoto Mechanisms Credit Acquisition Program (97.528Mt).
Acquired by the private sector: The amount of credits that were acquired by the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan (according to the Environmental Action Plan by the Japanese Electric Utility Industry [FY2009 to FY2013])

5 Total emissions and removals for the Kyoto Protocol target will be finalized after the technical review process under the Kyoto Protocol and the Convention to be conducted in FY2014. Also, the Kyoto mechanisms credits will be finalized after the true-up period for the first commitment period (expected to be completed in the second half of 2015 or later).

Attached File

• Japan’s National Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Fiscal Year 2012 (Preliminary Figures)
  　<Executive Summary >
  [0.3MB]

November 19, 2013

Ministry of the Environment
Government of Japan

Greenhouse Gas Inventory Office of Japan
National Institute for Environmental Studies

source from: http://www.nies.go.jp/whatsnew/2013/20131119/20131119-e.html

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Japan News: Side Event at COP19 on Global Adaptation Network (GAN) (12 Nov 2013)

Side Event at COP19 on Global Adaptation Network (GAN)

November 7, 2013

The Global Adaptation Network (GAN) and Regional Networks, under initiative of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), convene to share experiences on knowledge mobilization from Africa, Asia and Latin America at a side event of the 19th Conference of the Parties (COP19) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 9th session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the parties (CMP9) to the Kyoto Protocol (November 11-22, 2013, Warsaw, Poland). The side event will be the first one focusing on showcasing the work of all the Regional Networks of the GAN, and sharing the lessons learnt from their experiences. 
MOEJ has been a key partner in the development and implementation of the Asia-Pacific Adaptation 
Network (APAN) since its inception in 2009, and is extending its support to strengthening linkages and 
exchange across the Regional Networks. The Minister of the Environment of Japan, Mr. Nobuteru Ishihara and 
the UNEP Executive Director Mr. Achim Steiner is are going to assume the Honorary Chairs of the GAN. 
Date & Time: Monday, the 18th of November, 2013 15:00 - 16:30 
Venue: National Stadium Room, Gdansk (tbc) (Warsaw, Poland) 

for more information: http://www.env.go.jp/en/headline/headline.php?serial=2022

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