Delegates witnessed a performance of traditional arts, with Yoko Deva playing the Shinobue (Japanese flute) and the Kakashi-za group in Tekage-e (shadow play).

Dais during the opening plenary of COP 10.

L-R: Ryu Matsumoto, Environment Minister, Japan, receives the gavel from Jochen Flasbarth, Germany, on behalf of the COP 9 Presidency as a symbol of handing over the COP Presidency to Japan.

Jochen Flasbarth, Germany, on behalf of the COP 9 Presidency, declared the meeting open and thanked the people and the government of Japan for their hospitality.

COP 10 President Matsumoto highlighted this was a critical time for measures to protect biodiversity, and called for realistic new global targets, and for the establishment of an international ABS regime.

Masaaki Kanda, Governor of the Prefecture of Aichi, welcomed delegates to the region which is a hub of transportation and manufacturing, including innovative environmental technologies, and a production centre for agriculture and fisheries.

Takashi Kawamura, Mayor of the City of Nagoya, stressed the important role of municipalities and citizens in living in harmony with nature, as well as the negative effects of urban development on biodiversity.

Achim Steiner, UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director, emphasized that COP 10 can become a source of inspiration for successful multilateralism, stressing the need to adopt an international instrument on ABS to ensure the credibility of the Convention.

Ahmed Djoghlaf, CBD Executive Secretary, termed COP 10 the most important meeting on biodiversity in UN history, in light of the relevance of the strategic plan, its vision for 2050 and the ABS protocol.

The dais then dealt with organizational matters.

ABS Working Group Co-Chairs Fernando Casas, Colombia, and Timothy Hodges, Canada, reported on the ABS negotiations.

Acting COP/MOP 5 President Hidenori Murakami, Japan, presented the report of the Biosafety Protocol COP/MOP 5.

View of the opening plenary.

Misia, Japanese singer and Honorary Ambassador of COP 10, performed the theme song of the conference during the opening plenary.

L-R: Chair of WG I Cosima Hufler, Austria, with Jihyun Lee and Jacqueline Grekin,
CBD Secretariat

L-R: WG II dais with Ravi Sharma, CBD Secretariat; WG II Chair Damaso Luna, Mexico; Robert Höft, CBD Secretariat and Kieran Noonan Mooney, CBD Secretariat

View of the small group on compliance under the informal consultative group on ABS.