Overview
Japan supports the operationalisation of the multilateral mechanism and the Cali Fund under Decision 16/2, and holds one of the three Asia-Pacific seats on the Fund’s Steering Committee for 2025-2026. It is aligned with the JUSCANNZ group of developed, non-EU countries and favours a voluntary mechanism in which companies actively using DSI are encouraged, rather than required, to contribute a share of their profits or revenue. In the negotiations, Japan has sought a sector list focused on sectors that genuinely rely on DSI, auditing of national disbursement entities by the Fund’s host, and an effectiveness review that takes account of socioeconomic parameters and ways to incentivise contributions. Together with Canada, it rejected requiring databases and academic institutions to contribute to the Fund. At SBI-7 it supported the EU’s edits to the text on the Fund’s Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), cautioning that recording governance concerns could divert attention from operationalisation.
Goals
- Secure business-friendly contribution design (profit-based, not revenue-based; exemptions for unprofitable DSI use)
- Avoid mandatory contribution rules