What is COP10? | Introducing the COP10 Honorary Ambassador | International Year of Biodiversity × COP10

"What is biodiversity, and how does it relate to our lives? What would happen if biodiversity were lost?
Together with all of you, I would like to think and learn about these questions, and help people all around the world become aware of them!"

MISIA and Dr. Djoghlaf, the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, met in Tokyo in August 2010, two months before COP10. At this meeting, MISIA pledged to communicate the importance of biodiversity through means such as messages at her live performances and the establishment of a special website for the younger generations who will be responsible for the future. Executive Secretary Djoghlaf declared that "LIFE IN HARMONY" would be recognized as the official COP10 song.

At a press conference by the government of Japan regarding COP10 conducted in September 2010, MISIA explained that Uta, the Japanese Kanji character for "song" was derived from the posture of a person praying to the gods, and contains the meaning of gratitude for life and the blessings of nature, and how it is possible to communicate the significance of biodiversity through songs. Following the press conference, she presented a calligraphic work of the character Uta, written by famed Japanese calligrapher Shizu Usami, to Executive Secretary Djoghlaf.

→Click here for a video of the press conference.

The conversation was held in a relaxed atmosphere. ((Left: UN Under-Secretary-General Akasaka, Right: MISIA) Following the press conference, MISIA paid a courtesy visit to Kiyotaka Akasaka, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information. MISIA delivered a report on the activities thus far, and the two discussed the importance of communicating messages related to biodiversity, and means for effectively communicating them to greater numbers of people.

Reception held at the Central Park Zoo(From left: Minister of the Environment Ryu Matsumoto, MISIA, Edward Norton) At the reception held that evening, she and Minister of the Environment Ryu Matsumoto met movie actor Edward Norton, who had recently been appointed the UN Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity in July 2010.

MISIA singing at the COP10 opening ceremony At the COP10 opening ceremony on October 18, 2010, MISIA took to the stage to sing the COP10 official song "LIFE IN HARMONY". This was the first time the English version, created for the international audience, was performed.

On the same day at a press conference held jointly by the Ministry of the Environment and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Senior Councilor Daizaburo Kuroda of the Ministry of the Environment introduced MISIA's activities related to biodiversity. Executive Secretary Djoghlaf also expressed his gratitude, and spoke of the importance of MISIA's various activities for creating a future that is in harmony with nature.

In order to communicate the message of "LIFE IN HARMONY" to a greater number of people, it was announced that English lyrics to the song had been completed several days before the opening of COP10, and that through these lyrics, MISIA wanted to convey a number of biodiversity-related messages. These messages describe how countless lives are connected together, how we all should think about what we want to leave behind for future generations, and how it is our prayers and wishes that will create the world of the future.

Date : May 22 (Saturday), 2010
Location : Roppongi Hills

On May 22, the International Day for Biological Diversity, MISIA participated as the Honorary COP10 Ambassador in the event "dot park [MISIA × BBC Earth Special]" (sponsor: Sony Corporation, special cooperation: Biodiversity × MISIA Project (Ministry of the Environment)) that was held at Roppongi Hills.

Presided over by Miyoko Omomo, a member of the Life on Earth Supporters' Club, this event featured a discussion session that included MISIA, the director of the Ministry of the Environment Nature Conservation Bureau, and BBC Earth producer Neil Nightingale, as well as a message video from the Honorary Ambassador for COP10, a showing of BBC Earth, a biodiversity origami workshop, and other attractions which promoted the International Day for Biological Diversity and COP10 to a broad audience.

Dates :: July 10 (Saturday) and 11 (Sunday), 2010 : Lake Kawaguchi Performance (Yamanashi Prefecture); July 17 (Saturday), 2010: Inasayama Performance (Nagasaki Prefecture); July 21 (Wednesday), 2010: Nagoya Performance (Aichi Prefecture); July 23 (Friday), 2010: Kanazawa Performance (Ishikawa Prefecture); July 31 (Saturday), 2010: Maishima Performance (Osaka Prefecture)

The KAZAGURUMA [pinwheel] Campaign for BIODIVERSITY which calls for "My Action for Biodiversity Declaration" took place at a total of six performances held in five locations across Japan where the MISIA Summer Tour (Constellation MISIA ENCORE 2010 International Year of Biodiversity) was held.

During this campaign, participants declared their commitments to actions for biodiversity in their everyday lives, pledging their actions by placing messages inside kazaguruma [pinwheels] - a toy which once taught children about wind power and the enjoyment of playing with nature.

At each of the event sites, panel displays related to biodiversity and COP10 were set up and visited by many people. As a result, the campaign collected a total of more than 2,000 kazaguruma with their messages folded inside them. During the performances, MISIA presented a new song - "LIFE IN HARMONY", which was created while she was working on activities for the International Year of Biodiversity.

Many of the kazaguruma with "My Action for Biodiversity Declarations" were created by children together with their parents. Dates : October 23 (Saturday) and 24 (Sunday), 2010
Location : Tokyo Tower

The "SATOYAMA BASKET: Wonderful Friends on Earth at Tokyo Tower – a special program for the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity" (sponsored by the Executive Committee of Wonderful Friends on Earth), featuring life-sized clay statues of extinct and endangered animals created by Ajyu Miyakawa, also included panel displays explaining biodiversity. As part of this event, the KAZAGURUMA [pinwheel] Campaign for BIODIVERSITY, which calls on visitors to make "My Action for Biodiversity Declarations", was held on these two days. More than 400 kazaguruma [pinwheels] containing messages from the many visitors to the event were collected over the two days. Many of the kazaguruma with "My Action for Biodiversity Declarations" were created by children together with their parents.

A mother and child creating kazaguruma [pinwheels] with "My Action for Biodiversity Declaration" Date : October 31, 2010 (Sunday)
Location : Nihonbashi

The 38th Nihonbashi-Kyobashi Festival Oedo Kakki Parade (sponsored by the Nihonbashi-Kyobashi Festival Executive Committee) included a display of panels explaining biodiversity, and also the collection and display of kazaguruma [pinwheels] containing "My Action for Biodiversity Declarations". Despite the unfortunate weather, the booth received a broad range of visitors from children to the elderly who participated in the "My Action for Biodiversity Declaration" campaign.