国連女性機関（UN Women）執行理事会2022年第1回定期会合における石兼大使 ステートメント
令和4年2月14日
Madam President,
I would like to start by congratulating you, Ambassador Fatima, on your assumption of the Presidency.
I would also like to express my appreciation for the opening statement by Madam Executive Director, highlighting her priorities for the coming years. Japan welcomes the recent organizational change to place the Executive Board Secretariat under the direct guidance of the Executive Director.
Both the President and the Executive Director can count on Japan’s continued unwavering support to UN Women.
Last week, UNDP launched a special report entitled "New threats to human security in the Anthropocene," which features a new generation of challenges related to inequalities, violent conflicts, digital technology and global health, among others. In all these cases, women and girls are the most severely affected.
Also last week, during the first thematic consultation at the General Assembly on the follow-up of the Secretary-General’s “Our Common Agenda” report, we heard an overwhelming number of delegations emphasizing the need to address gender equality, echoing the SG’s call to consider five transformative measures.
Our expectations are high that UN Women will fully exercise its mandate and spearhead the international efforts to protect and empower women and girls around the world. Our discussions in the GA, CSW or in this Board must result in ensuring human security on the ground.
Having heard the priorities of the Executive Director, I am encouraged by her determination to intensify UN Women’s engagement with programme countries. I look forward to hearing more on how UN Women will effectively deliver to make a difference for women and girls in difficult situations.
Of course, UN Women is not the only implementing entity on gender equality, which is a crosscutting issue. Japan supports UN Women to play an effective role in coordination across the UN development system, in particular at the country and regional levels, in full collaboration with the new RC system.
Lastly, I wish to touch briefly on the upcoming CSW, which sheds light on climate change and natural disaster contexts. Japan has been promoting the discussion on natural disasters and gender since initiating the resolution on this topic in 2012, based on the experience of the Great East Japan Earthquake the year before. We count on UN Women to facilitate and follow up this discussion at CSW66.
Thank you.