Statement by H.E. Ambassador ISHIKANE Kimihiro, Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations, at the Security Council High-Level Open VTC meeting on “Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace: Contemporary Drivers of Conflict and Insecurity”
2020/11/3
Mr. President,
I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Your Excellency Mr. Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for convening this open debate. It is so timely for the Council to discuss multifaceted challenges to peace and security amid the intergovernmental process of the 2020 Peacebuilding Architecture (PBA) review co-facilitated by the Permanent Representatives of your country and New Zealand.
I wish to share Japan’s views on the questions posed in your concept note, namely the lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate crisis, closer collaboration among the UN bodies and the integrated approach across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus to tackle contemporary challenges to peace and security.
Mr. President,
Japan regards COVID-19, climate change, and other persistent development challenges, through the lens of human security. They are threats of another nature compared to armed conflicts, but do have adverse effects on the regional stability and eventually on peace and security by imposing burden on people’s survival, livelihood and dignity.
The COVID-19 has put to the test the resilience of national health systems in many countries and its socioeconomic impacts will inevitably hit the most vulnerable people. Nationally owned measures supported by effective, accountable and inclusive institutions are the key not only to the fight against the virus, but to earning people’s trust in the government, which is a precondition for building and sustaining peace.
This is the first lesson learned and the reason why Japan emphasizes the importance of institution-building throughout this year’s PBA review process. We call on others to take advantage of the quinquennial opportunity to strengthen the Peacebuilding Committee (PBC) by promoting focused discussion on institution-building support.
Climate-related natural disasters are compromising human security, and in places where the communities lack resilience, they become multiplier of conflict risk. Our response must be people-centred, context-specific and prevention-oriented and aim to protect and empower all people and communities. Our actions must be comprehensive, breaking down silos and taking full account of the humanitarian-development-peace nexus. This is the second lesson we extract from another contemporary drivers of conflict and insecurity - climate change.
Mr. President,
How can we strengthen the UN Peacebuilding Architecture so that it facilitates system-wide collaboration capable of proposing integrated actions across the UN system? In Japan’s view, the PBC has much to offer and improve itself. “The main purpose of the Peacebuilding Commission is to bring together all relevant actors to marshal resources and to advise on and propose integrated strategies”. These are the words of our Heads of States and Governments who “decided to establish a Peacebuilding Commission” in 2005.
The PBC should deepen substantive discussions on critical components of peacebuilding and sustaining peace such as institution-building and become the primary platform for exchanging good practices and lessons learned, engaging with countries willing to discuss their priorities, raising awareness, mobilizing technical and financial support, and strengthening partnerships within and beyond the UN system.
Japan, as the vice-chair of PBC for 2020, looks forward to a fruitful outcome of the PBA review process.
Thank you.
I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Your Excellency Mr. Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for convening this open debate. It is so timely for the Council to discuss multifaceted challenges to peace and security amid the intergovernmental process of the 2020 Peacebuilding Architecture (PBA) review co-facilitated by the Permanent Representatives of your country and New Zealand.
I wish to share Japan’s views on the questions posed in your concept note, namely the lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate crisis, closer collaboration among the UN bodies and the integrated approach across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus to tackle contemporary challenges to peace and security.
Mr. President,
Japan regards COVID-19, climate change, and other persistent development challenges, through the lens of human security. They are threats of another nature compared to armed conflicts, but do have adverse effects on the regional stability and eventually on peace and security by imposing burden on people’s survival, livelihood and dignity.
The COVID-19 has put to the test the resilience of national health systems in many countries and its socioeconomic impacts will inevitably hit the most vulnerable people. Nationally owned measures supported by effective, accountable and inclusive institutions are the key not only to the fight against the virus, but to earning people’s trust in the government, which is a precondition for building and sustaining peace.
This is the first lesson learned and the reason why Japan emphasizes the importance of institution-building throughout this year’s PBA review process. We call on others to take advantage of the quinquennial opportunity to strengthen the Peacebuilding Committee (PBC) by promoting focused discussion on institution-building support.
Climate-related natural disasters are compromising human security, and in places where the communities lack resilience, they become multiplier of conflict risk. Our response must be people-centred, context-specific and prevention-oriented and aim to protect and empower all people and communities. Our actions must be comprehensive, breaking down silos and taking full account of the humanitarian-development-peace nexus. This is the second lesson we extract from another contemporary drivers of conflict and insecurity - climate change.
Mr. President,
How can we strengthen the UN Peacebuilding Architecture so that it facilitates system-wide collaboration capable of proposing integrated actions across the UN system? In Japan’s view, the PBC has much to offer and improve itself. “The main purpose of the Peacebuilding Commission is to bring together all relevant actors to marshal resources and to advise on and propose integrated strategies”. These are the words of our Heads of States and Governments who “decided to establish a Peacebuilding Commission” in 2005.
The PBC should deepen substantive discussions on critical components of peacebuilding and sustaining peace such as institution-building and become the primary platform for exchanging good practices and lessons learned, engaging with countries willing to discuss their priorities, raising awareness, mobilizing technical and financial support, and strengthening partnerships within and beyond the UN system.
Japan, as the vice-chair of PBC for 2020, looks forward to a fruitful outcome of the PBA review process.
Thank you.