Statement by H.E. Ambassador ISHIKANE Kimihiro, Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations, Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), Ambassadorial-level Meeting on the impact of COVID-19 in West Africa and the Sahel

Thank you, Chair and Dr. Chambas.
 
We are facing the situation where human security is at risk.
 
One thing we learned from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa is the paramount importance of trust. Trust. Stopping the outbreak depends on changing people's behaviors, and this can only happen if people have trust in authorities whether or not it is a developed country or developing country. I believe one way of building this trust is by empowering local communities through a holistic and coordinated approach. Delivering at the local level can help strengthen human security and resilience while fostering development, and so build people’s faith in government institutions.
 
This approach helps us combat not just COVID-19 but also violent extremism. As I highlighted during last month’s Security Council meeting empowering local communities and strengthening institutional capacity are key to breaking the vicious cycle that breeds radicalization. We must not let terrorist groups exploit the pandemic for their own ends.
To help achieve regional peace and stability, Japan emphasizes human resource development and capacity-building in the judicial, administrative and legislative institutions, as well as youth vocational training.
 
Here I also wish to highlight JICA’s education programme named “School for All”, which began in Niger in 2004 and has been adopted by more than 45,000 schools mainly across West Africa. What makes this programme distinctive is that it facilitates collaborative work between schools and communities to improve children’s learning environments. The “School For All” program has led to improved access to quality education and greater enrollment of girls.
 
It might seem odd to emphasize an education programme while discussing a pandemic, but what I want to underscore here is that a community-centered approach has great potential for sustaining peace and making society resilient against an unexpected shock like COVID-19. I am also very much proud to say that we are one of the major contributors to Global Humanitarian Response Plan to fight against the virus. We believe both of these initiatives are essential and intertwined. I also would like to touch upon a point which was raised by many colleagues, that is, coordination problem. I would like to reiterate my position that aid coordination cannot happen at a far away office but should take place in the field among those who know what is the best for the ground. Therefore, we should make clear who is doing what to those players on the ground by disclosing all the assistance efforts.   
 
Finally, I believe this approach supports SRSG Chambas’s work on the ground. We tend to focus on the health and economic consequences of the pandemic, which is very natural, but we must also consider broader impacts, including political repercussions, particularly with several important West African elections imminent, as we consider how best to support the region.
 
Thank you.