Updates
Here are a couple of updates on Kurashi events over the past few days - things have been busy:
Japan said Friday it will accept the draft of an international treaty banning cluster bombs, except for the latest types, and eventually abolish all of those weapons owned by the Self-Defense Forces. The decision, a turnaround from the government's traditional stance, came in response to an agreement on the draft treaty reached in Dublin on Wednesday. The treaty was negotiated by a group of countries, including Norway, supporting a ban under what is known as the Oslo Process. It was formally adopted in Dublin on Friday.
Asahi: Japan OKs ban on cluster bombs
Nongovernmental organizations on Friday called on the Japanese and African governments to take urgent action to mitigate the food crisis in Africa as well as secure additional resources beyond current aid commitments to deal with the impacts of volatile changes in climate.
"The doubling of aid to Africa is a welcoming step in the right direction. However, Japan's overall commitment falls short of expectations," an NGO network said in a statement released as African leaders and development partners concluded a three-day conference in Yokohama. The TICAD 4 NGO Network, or TNnet, also urged Japan, as this year's Group of Eight chair, to take the lead in setting high medium-term targets on emissions.
Kyodo/Yahoo: NGOs call for more action by Japan, Africa on food crisis, climate
Food prices will remain high over the next decade even if they fall from current records, meaning millions more risk further hardship or hunger, the OECD and the UN's FAO food agency said in a report published on Thursday. The report, issued ahead of a June 3-5 world food summit in Rome, said food commodity prices were likely to recede from the peaks hit recently, but that they would remain higher in the decade ahead than the one gone by.
"It's time for action," Jacques Diouf, head of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation told a news conference in Paris, saying he expected 40 leaders in Rome for a summit on what should be done immediately and for long-term food security.
Reuters: Food Prices To Stay High, "Grain Drain" Fuel Blamed
The UN biodiversity conference is scheduled to finish Friday after nearly two weeks of talks attended by representatives from 191 countries. On Friday morning, it looked like the concrete results of the conference would be limited.
"This is crunch time," said WWF head James Leape. "Everything depends on what comes out at the end of the day."
Der Spiegel: UN Conference Divided over How to Protect Biodiversity
(NHK World notes that "delegates failed to agree on specifics of the framework due to differences in views between developed and developing nations. They will seek an agreement to be reached in the next meeting to be held in Nagoya, Japan, in 2010. The Nagoya meeting will be an important opportunity to assess the goal of slowing the loss of biological diversity by 2010. Japan, which chairs the meeting, will be urged to build a consensus among participating countries.")
"Let's begin a campaign to boycott U.S. products. Boycott Hollywood movies! Don't wear Nike! Don't drink Starbucks coffee and stop going to McDonald's, Pizza Hut and KFC," read another Internet post. U.S. companies with a business presence in Korea could suffer losses from the beef controversy if the campaign gains traction.
The Korea Times: Is 'Made in USA' Backlash Next?
Over 100,000 citizens and students are expected to flock to downtown Seoul Saturday to participate in a candlelit vigil against the impending resumption of U.S. beef imports. The vigil will be the largest ever since they began May 2 and the massive protest is expected to continue over the weekend.
Members of some 1,700 civic organizations, university student associations and groups of Internet users plan to join the night rally, encouraging other citizens to join them so as to attract 100,000 participants.
The Korea Times: Massive Candlelit Vigil Planned Tonight
Japan said Friday it will accept the draft of an international treaty banning cluster bombs, except for the latest types, and eventually abolish all of those weapons owned by the Self-Defense Forces. The decision, a turnaround from the government's traditional stance, came in response to an agreement on the draft treaty reached in Dublin on Wednesday. The treaty was negotiated by a group of countries, including Norway, supporting a ban under what is known as the Oslo Process. It was formally adopted in Dublin on Friday.
Asahi: Japan OKs ban on cluster bombs
Nongovernmental organizations on Friday called on the Japanese and African governments to take urgent action to mitigate the food crisis in Africa as well as secure additional resources beyond current aid commitments to deal with the impacts of volatile changes in climate.
"The doubling of aid to Africa is a welcoming step in the right direction. However, Japan's overall commitment falls short of expectations," an NGO network said in a statement released as African leaders and development partners concluded a three-day conference in Yokohama. The TICAD 4 NGO Network, or TNnet, also urged Japan, as this year's Group of Eight chair, to take the lead in setting high medium-term targets on emissions.
Kyodo/Yahoo: NGOs call for more action by Japan, Africa on food crisis, climate
Food prices will remain high over the next decade even if they fall from current records, meaning millions more risk further hardship or hunger, the OECD and the UN's FAO food agency said in a report published on Thursday. The report, issued ahead of a June 3-5 world food summit in Rome, said food commodity prices were likely to recede from the peaks hit recently, but that they would remain higher in the decade ahead than the one gone by.
"It's time for action," Jacques Diouf, head of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation told a news conference in Paris, saying he expected 40 leaders in Rome for a summit on what should be done immediately and for long-term food security.
Reuters: Food Prices To Stay High, "Grain Drain" Fuel Blamed
The UN biodiversity conference is scheduled to finish Friday after nearly two weeks of talks attended by representatives from 191 countries. On Friday morning, it looked like the concrete results of the conference would be limited."This is crunch time," said WWF head James Leape. "Everything depends on what comes out at the end of the day."
Der Spiegel: UN Conference Divided over How to Protect Biodiversity
(NHK World notes that "delegates failed to agree on specifics of the framework due to differences in views between developed and developing nations. They will seek an agreement to be reached in the next meeting to be held in Nagoya, Japan, in 2010. The Nagoya meeting will be an important opportunity to assess the goal of slowing the loss of biological diversity by 2010. Japan, which chairs the meeting, will be urged to build a consensus among participating countries.")
"Let's begin a campaign to boycott U.S. products. Boycott Hollywood movies! Don't wear Nike! Don't drink Starbucks coffee and stop going to McDonald's, Pizza Hut and KFC," read another Internet post. U.S. companies with a business presence in Korea could suffer losses from the beef controversy if the campaign gains traction.The Korea Times: Is 'Made in USA' Backlash Next?
Over 100,000 citizens and students are expected to flock to downtown Seoul Saturday to participate in a candlelit vigil against the impending resumption of U.S. beef imports. The vigil will be the largest ever since they began May 2 and the massive protest is expected to continue over the weekend.
Members of some 1,700 civic organizations, university student associations and groups of Internet users plan to join the night rally, encouraging other citizens to join them so as to attract 100,000 participants.
The Korea Times: Massive Candlelit Vigil Planned Tonight
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