Statement by H.E. Ambassador HOSHINO Toshiya, Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations, at the First Regular Session of the 2020 Executive Board of UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS: UNDP Segment

<Toward the achievement of the SDGs>

 Thank you Mr. President.

As we enter the “Decade of Action”, Japan is committed to step up our actions toward achieving the SDGs by 2030 by taking an all-of-government approach to advance the SDGs, together with the private sector, local governments, civil society, youth and other stakeholders.
 
This year, Japan intends to put a special focus on SDGs financing. In this regard, I am very encouraged to hear from you, Mr. Administrator that we are aligned with the direction you are leading to, and in fact the involvement of the private sector is critical in order to promote SDGs financing. We hope in this regard that the initiatives led by UNDP, namely SDGs Impact and the Finance Sector Hub, will lead to concrete results.  
 
We also believe that SDGs Localization is very important. We need to focus our attention more on local governments as implementing bodies of the SDGs. In this connection, Japan will promote the efforts of local governments to advance of the SDGs through such events as the “SDGs Action Festival” scheduled to be held at the end of November, in collaboration between Kanagawa prefecture of Japan and UNDP. 
 
Mr. President,
 
<Nature for Development>
 
I understand the theme of the interactive dialogue this afternoon is “Nature for Development”. The Planet is one of the most critical dimensions of the SDGs, and an important pillar of Japan’s “SDGs Promotion Guiding Principles”, so we are planning to initiate so many various initiatives including the one called the “Satoyama Initiative”, this is the international partnership program to explore and implement the appropriate use and management of land and other natural resources, based on locally accumulated knowledge and practices.
 
<Olympics and SDGs>
 
Finally don’t forget the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. We have Tokyo 2020 Games… we have taken “Be Better, together for the Planet and the people” as its Sustainability Concept. So throughout the games, we intend to contribute to the SDGs by showcasing model solutions to global sustainability challenges to people all around the world.    
So your Excellences, We hope that we can join our forces, spirits and ideas together to make this festival of peace and SDGs a great success
Thank you very much for your attention.
 
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