■Visit to Sister Wetlands in Australia and Renewal of Sister-Wetland Affiliation Agreements

From November 4 to 9, 2004, representatives of six municipalities associated with the KIWC visited Newcastle City and Port Stephens district, Australia, where sister wetlands were located. With the year falling on the 10th anniversary of the foundation of sister-wetland affiliation agreements concluded in 1994, three representatives, including the KIWC President (Yoshitaka Ito, Mayor of Kushiro City) visited a wetland located in the Hunter River Estuary (Kooragang Wetland), as well as a number of its surrounding cities to discuss the renewal of the affiliation agreements and future exchange projects.
During the stay, they attended a welcome reception at the Newcastle Region Art Gallery, a guided tour to the sites under the Kooragang Wetland Rehabilitation Project and a wetland observation tour (Morning Walk) for general visitors, among other activities. They undertook a variety of exchanges while enjoying the hospitality and cooperation of many involved locals.
Approximately 50 people, including Lord Mayor of Newcastle John Tate and Port Stephens Mayer Craig Baumann joined a ceremony at the Wetland Centre Australia celebrating the renewal of the sister-wetland affiliation agreements. At the venue, wetland-themed works made by children in the Kushiro area, which the KIWC presented to the center, were put on exhibit. Local children made presentations introducing their areas. In this cordial atmosphere, affiliation-renewal agreements of the sister wetland were signed. A workshop attended by 10 people involved was held afterward, where opinions about future activities in seven affiliated fields were shared, including civic exchanges and environmental education.

■UNITAR Training Workshop in Kushiro

A training workshop was held at the Kushiro Tourism and International Relations Center from November 29 through December 3, 2004, under the auspices of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research Hiroshima Office for Asia and the Pacific (UNITAR HOAP) and the co-host of the KIWC. This was the fifth joint workshop hosted by the UNITAR in Kushiro and the first joint workshop hosted by UNITAR HOAP, which was inaugurated in 2004.
The theme of the workshop was "Wetlands, Biodiversity and Water." Aiming to acquire new knowledge and techniques in ecosystem management, with a focus on the water environment, 40 administrators and experts participated from 26 countries, primarily developing nations in the Asia-Pacific region.
In addition to lectures and hands-on training, a field tour to Kushiro Wetland and opportunities to interact with the local community were included in the schedule. The activities capitalized on the abundant natural environment and the remarkable achievements of civic participation unique to Kushiro.
In addition, introduction to Japanese culture - including calligraphy, flower arrangement and the tea ceremony - conducted with the generous cooperation of local cultural organizations and international exchange volunteers, was well received by participants.
In the early hours of the first day of the workshop, a big Earthquake struck, greatly startling participants. Fortunately no one was injured, and everyone completed the programs without any difficulties and cheerfully accepted their completion certificates at the closing ceremony.