UNEP Special Envoy, Ms. Tokiko Kato

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Activities of UNEP Special Envoy, Ms. Tokiko Kato (From 2000 to 2011)

In October 2000, Ms. Tokiko Kato was appointed as Special Envoy for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Since then, Ms. Kato had visited environmental protection and conservation activities taking place at the grassroots level in the Asia Pacific region in order to encourage those involved, as well as to publicize these activities.
GEC supported her activities in commission from the Ministry of the Environment, Japan.

Message from Ms. Tokiko Kato

“How much change has mankind wrought upon the earth over the past three decades?

The more I travel through Asia, the more I am overwhelmed by feelings of astonishment and anxiety.
Poverty threatens the dignity of beautiful peoples who have flourished through thousands of years of history.
The great power and wealth that humans have acquired now threaten to extend the hand of destruction to all corners of the globe.

Unless immediate actions are taken to stop the loss of forests and the collapse of farming communities, we are all going to lose our homelands.

The future lies in the small, humble strength of the many: in ongoing efforts and modest lifestyles.”

Tokiko

Activities of Ms. Tokiko Kato
January 11-20, 2011	Bangladesh and Nepal Urban waste management, Arsenic contamination of groundwater in Bangladesh Eco-tourism, glacial melting caused by climate change in Nepal
April 4-24, 2009	Fiji and Tuvalu Planting Mangroves in Fiji, Waste Issues Facing South Pacific Small Island Nations, Tuvalu's Inland Flooding
August 12-22, 2008	Australia Wetlands Partnership Ensures Bird Conservation, Environmental Awareness on Green Island, Conservation on Environmental Water
August 13-23, 2007	Viet Nam Balanced Forestry Management, Water Contamination in Beautiful Ha Long Bay, Hanoi 3R Initiative
August 17-25, 2006	Malaysia Conserving Rainforest Biodiversity, Co-Existing with Wildlife
August 30- September 8, 2005	Thailand and Sri Lanka Recovering from the Tsunami
July 19-28, 2004	China Water Shortage and Apricot Harvest, Capacity-Building for a Sustainable Environment
May 16-23, 2004	India Environmental Education Catering to Diverse Cultures and Languages, Animal Energy, Sustainable Sewage Treatment
September 8-18, 2003	Fiji and Tonga Fishery Reform in Tonga, Planting Mangroves in Fiji, Waste Issues Facing South Pacific Small Island Nations
May 13-24, 2003	Uzbekistan and Kyrgyz Republic Environmental Deterioration of the Aral Sea, Beautiful Lake Issyk-Kyl, Environmental Education in Kyrgyzstan
August 22-31, 2002	South Africa Concert at the World Summit for Sustainable Development
April 6-13, 2002	Republic of Korea UNEP’s Window to South Korea, Vital Water Source for Seoul, Environmental World Cup
August 10-19, 2001	Mongolia Ong River, Dundgobi Province－Destiny of a River－, Eco-Conservation of Lake Huvsgul
April 17-27, 2001	Thailand and Indonesia Bangkok Slum Environmental Reform Project: "Clean and Green Project", Initiative to Conserve the Biodiversity of Gunung Halimun National Park
February 5-9, 2001	Kenya UNEP 2nd Global Ministerial Environment Forum, Children Who Have Never Seen Animals
	Activities within Japan Strong Ties to Lake Biwa, Inspection of Citizen's Environmental Conservation Efforts at Fujimae Mudflats, Awarness-Raising Activities through Participation in Symposium

Profile of Ms. Tokiko Kato

Born in Harbin, China in 1943, Ms. Kato won the 2nd Japan Amateur Chanson Contest and made her singing debut in 1965 while still a student at the University of Tokyo. Ms. Kato also won the “New Artist of the Year” and “Best Singing Artist” awards, and has released numerous albums and hit songs. Performing energetic concerts in Japan, Ms. Kato singing abilities also garnered considerable attention overseas and in 1988, she became the first Japanese female to perform a concert at Carnegie Hall in New York. In 1992, Ms. Kato was awarded the Chevalier Medal for Culture from the French Government.

Ms. Kato has been actively involved in global environmental issues and was designated as a Councilor by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Japan in 1997 then appointed as UNEP Special Envoy in October 2000. Visiting countries throughout Asia and Oceania, Ms. Kato has relayed her firsthand experience on the state of the natural environment to a wide audience, as well as engaging in numerous exchanges through music.
In April 2008, Ms. Kato gave a concert at the United Nations World Earth Day in the General Assembly Hall of the UN Headquarters, and reported on her activities to date as UNEP Special Envoy. In the concert, Ms. Kato gave a passionate rendition of her songs.
In Japan, Ms. Kato continues to work towards the realization of a recycling-oriented society with a younger generation.