Statement by H.E. Ambassador SHINO Mitsuko, Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations, at the Plenary Meeting on the Secretary-General's Report on the work of the Organization
2023/2/6
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(As delivered)
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I would like to join the President, Secretary-General, and other colleagues to express my sincere condolences and sympathies to the Government and people of Türkiye and Syria. We know how cruel the power of nature can be, including the earthquake. Japan has dispatched a disaster relief rescue team to conduct search and rescue, and decided to submit humanitarian assistance upon the request of the Government of Türkiye.
Mr. Chair, now I thank you for convening this meeting and the Secretary-General for sharing his priorities for 2023. Japan continues to support SG’s initiatives including Our Common Agenda.
Today, the international community is facing era-defining changes. The free, open, and stable international order is now at stake with serious challenges amidst historical changes in power balances and geopolitical tensions.
This is a crisis of confidence in the United Nations and in multilateralism. We should be aware that remaining time is short, and the clock is ticking.
I don’t have enough time to go through all the Agenda pointed out by the Secretary-General, but I will touch upon four areas where Japan deems the United Nation’s role particularly important.
First, it is imperative to restore the credibility of the UN. Facing the various and multifaceted challenges, all Member States should return to the visions and principles of the UN Charter. We should call for “Uniting for the rule of law,” breaking away from “rule by force.”
Second, it is important to build a resilient society. The key to building a resilient society is human security, through “investment in people”. From this perspective, Japan has been prioritizing education and health as one of the key sectors. Invested people, in other words, empowered people, especially women and youth, will be the best contributor to achieving and sustaining peace and development.
Third, we should renew our commitment to disarmament and non-proliferation. It is imperative to continue to make realistic and practical efforts toward a “world without nuclear weapons”, by maintaining and strengthening the NPT regime, as well as promoting other international efforts. We also emphasize the need to deepen our discussions to address new challenges in the fields of emerging technologies as well as cyber and other space.
Mr. Chair,
Last but not least, there is an urgent need to strengthen the functions of the UN. As more than 70 Heads of State or Government articulated during the high-level week last September, the Council is clearly in need of reform. However, despite the repeated emphasis at the highest level of the importance of early reform of the Council, including at the 2005 World Summit Outcome, this issue unfortunately remains unresolved to this day.
At the same time, it is essential to make the UN more relevant to the needs of the current times and to strengthen it as a whole by reinforcing not only the Security Council, but also the General Assembly and the role of the Secretary-General, Peacebuilding Commission, and other UN bodies.
Let me conclude, Mr. Chair, by stating that Japan will work together with the UN and its Member States to address current and future challenges as we approach the SDG summit later this year, and as we seek to advance Our Common Agenda, including preparations for the Summit of the Future.
I thank you, Mr. Chair.
I would like to join the President, Secretary-General, and other colleagues to express my sincere condolences and sympathies to the Government and people of Türkiye and Syria. We know how cruel the power of nature can be, including the earthquake. Japan has dispatched a disaster relief rescue team to conduct search and rescue, and decided to submit humanitarian assistance upon the request of the Government of Türkiye.
Mr. Chair, now I thank you for convening this meeting and the Secretary-General for sharing his priorities for 2023. Japan continues to support SG’s initiatives including Our Common Agenda.
Today, the international community is facing era-defining changes. The free, open, and stable international order is now at stake with serious challenges amidst historical changes in power balances and geopolitical tensions.
This is a crisis of confidence in the United Nations and in multilateralism. We should be aware that remaining time is short, and the clock is ticking.
I don’t have enough time to go through all the Agenda pointed out by the Secretary-General, but I will touch upon four areas where Japan deems the United Nation’s role particularly important.
First, it is imperative to restore the credibility of the UN. Facing the various and multifaceted challenges, all Member States should return to the visions and principles of the UN Charter. We should call for “Uniting for the rule of law,” breaking away from “rule by force.”
Second, it is important to build a resilient society. The key to building a resilient society is human security, through “investment in people”. From this perspective, Japan has been prioritizing education and health as one of the key sectors. Invested people, in other words, empowered people, especially women and youth, will be the best contributor to achieving and sustaining peace and development.
Third, we should renew our commitment to disarmament and non-proliferation. It is imperative to continue to make realistic and practical efforts toward a “world without nuclear weapons”, by maintaining and strengthening the NPT regime, as well as promoting other international efforts. We also emphasize the need to deepen our discussions to address new challenges in the fields of emerging technologies as well as cyber and other space.
Mr. Chair,
Last but not least, there is an urgent need to strengthen the functions of the UN. As more than 70 Heads of State or Government articulated during the high-level week last September, the Council is clearly in need of reform. However, despite the repeated emphasis at the highest level of the importance of early reform of the Council, including at the 2005 World Summit Outcome, this issue unfortunately remains unresolved to this day.
At the same time, it is essential to make the UN more relevant to the needs of the current times and to strengthen it as a whole by reinforcing not only the Security Council, but also the General Assembly and the role of the Secretary-General, Peacebuilding Commission, and other UN bodies.
Let me conclude, Mr. Chair, by stating that Japan will work together with the UN and its Member States to address current and future challenges as we approach the SDG summit later this year, and as we seek to advance Our Common Agenda, including preparations for the Summit of the Future.
I thank you, Mr. Chair.