In conjunction with opening of the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 10, 18-29 October, 2010, Nagoya, Japan), the Northwest Pacific Region Environmental Cooperation Centre (the host of the NOWPAP Special Monitoring and Coastal Environmental Assessment Regional Activity Centre), organized the Marine Biodiversity Forum in the Northwest Pacific Region on 16 October 2010 in Toyama, Japan. Sponsored by the Toyama Prefectural Government, this forum, organized as a side event of the CBD COP10, was attended by representatives of UNEP Marine and Coastal Ecosystems Branch, Pacific Regional Environmental Programme, Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem project, several research institutions in Japan, together with some international students from Nagoya University and local citizens. NOWPAP has been actively involved in the preparation of the forum in terms of providing advice on the meeting programme, identifying international speakers and contributing a presentation introducing NOWPAP activities on marine biodiversity in the region since 2007.