平和構築及び平和の持続ハイレベル会合における別所大使ステートメント

Mr. President,
 
It is my great pleasure to address the General Assembly at this high-level meeting on peacebuilding and sustaining peace. Japan welcomes the efforts of the President of the General Assembly to build momentum through our discussions here.
 
Mr. President,
 
Japan supports the Secretary-General’s initiative to shift the balance of the United Nations’ peace and security activities from reacting to conflicts to preventing them. Sustaining peace requires enhancing operational and policy coherence within the United Nations system and partnerships among all relevant parties.
 
Japan believes that promoting human security is one key to building and sustaining peace. The human security approach is people-centered, comprehensive, context-specific, and focuses on prevention. It aims at protecting and empowering vulnerable individuals.
 
We seek to make a difference on the ground. For this, there should be coherence in concrete actions by stakeholders. With this in mind, Japan supports for example, a program in Somalia which aims at addressing the root causes of the conflict there by improving basic social services. This program has been co-funded by the Peacebuilding Fund and the UN Trust Fund for Human Security, and is now being implemented jointly by various actors. Japan believes that this is a good example of coherence.
Institution-building and human resources development are also necessary to prevent a relapse into conflict. The core element of institution-building is to expand and consolidate the national and local authorities throughout the country, it should be done, and  Respecting national ownership is essential. Within the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), Japan continues to focus on this topic including cross-border issues, and will serve as a champion of institution-building.
 
Mr. President,
 
Last, but not least, financing is a critical factor to implement and enhance peacebuilding activities and sustaining peace. I would like to emphasize briefly the following two points on strengthening the PBF:

• First, it is essential not only to increase the predictability of the budget of the PBF but also to maintain transparency and flexibility; and
• Second, further efforts should be made to discover untapped resources for peacebuilding by strengthening partnerships among the private sector and international financial institutions (IFIs).

 
Sustaining peace will not be achieved without enhancing the role of women and youth as main actors. We welcome that the PBF puts priority on this approach.
 
Mr. President,
 
This is the time to take actions that will make these principles a reality on the ground. Japan will spare no effort to achieve sustaining peace and translate the culture of prevention into the field.
 
I thank you, Mr. President.