Statement by Mr. NAMAZU Hiroyuki, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, for the Peacebuilding Commission Meeting on the impact of COVID-19 in the Lake Chad Basin
2020/9/9
Let me begin by welcoming and thanking the Permanent Representative of Canada H.E. Ambassador Bob Rae for convening this meeting. I also thank all the briefers for their informative and insightful presentations.
I will go straight to discussing what Japan sees as important next steps.
The core of success – and at the same time the core challenge – for bringing stability to the Lake Chad Basin is, we think, building reliable institutions at the local level. The current approach under the Regional Stabilization Facility focuses on strengthening and working with existing local authorities. The Regional Stabilization Strategy has identified the “absence of governance” in the affected borderland areas as a key issue to address. We recognize that working with existing authorities is the right approach in the short-term, as our immediate priority is to mitigate the impact of the humanitarian crisis, including the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we also need to look beyond this approach to achieve long-term sustainability. Existing local authorities may be able to deliver some security and basic services to an extended area in the short-term, but their capacities will be overstretched and limited; it will not be sustainable unless local capacities rooted in communities are created.
There is no easy, immediate solution to this challenge, but we need to take on the task of developing institutions in local communities where there is weak and nonexistent governance. The key here is intensive investment in education and training for local populations while the state and other local authorities have to maintain support to provide security and basic services. As such communities are usually remote from the capital and other population centres in their country, cross-border cooperation between communities may provide a solution to their capacity problems.
Under its New Approach for Peace and Stability in Africa (NAPSA), Japan has focused its assistance to the Lake Chad Basin, faced with consequences of climate change and violent extremism, on supporting projects to enhance the capacities of institutions and individuals to ensure human security. For instance, we have supported projects to protect and empower vulnerable populations in affected local communities, particularly women and children as well as internally displaced persons, through infrastructure development, livelihood support, and improvement of access to basic services including health.
Before closing, I would like to give special thanks to UNOCA and UNOWAS as well as UNDP and other UN agencies, funds and programmes for their active roles in engaging regional, national, and local partners to address the challenges in the Lake Chad Basin.
I thank you, Mr. Chair.
I will go straight to discussing what Japan sees as important next steps.
The core of success – and at the same time the core challenge – for bringing stability to the Lake Chad Basin is, we think, building reliable institutions at the local level. The current approach under the Regional Stabilization Facility focuses on strengthening and working with existing local authorities. The Regional Stabilization Strategy has identified the “absence of governance” in the affected borderland areas as a key issue to address. We recognize that working with existing authorities is the right approach in the short-term, as our immediate priority is to mitigate the impact of the humanitarian crisis, including the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we also need to look beyond this approach to achieve long-term sustainability. Existing local authorities may be able to deliver some security and basic services to an extended area in the short-term, but their capacities will be overstretched and limited; it will not be sustainable unless local capacities rooted in communities are created.
There is no easy, immediate solution to this challenge, but we need to take on the task of developing institutions in local communities where there is weak and nonexistent governance. The key here is intensive investment in education and training for local populations while the state and other local authorities have to maintain support to provide security and basic services. As such communities are usually remote from the capital and other population centres in their country, cross-border cooperation between communities may provide a solution to their capacity problems.
Under its New Approach for Peace and Stability in Africa (NAPSA), Japan has focused its assistance to the Lake Chad Basin, faced with consequences of climate change and violent extremism, on supporting projects to enhance the capacities of institutions and individuals to ensure human security. For instance, we have supported projects to protect and empower vulnerable populations in affected local communities, particularly women and children as well as internally displaced persons, through infrastructure development, livelihood support, and improvement of access to basic services including health.
Before closing, I would like to give special thanks to UNOCA and UNOWAS as well as UNDP and other UN agencies, funds and programmes for their active roles in engaging regional, national, and local partners to address the challenges in the Lake Chad Basin.
I thank you, Mr. Chair.