第2回UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS執行理事会（UNFPAセグメント）における川村大使ステートメント
Thank you Madam President,
Executive Director Dr. Kanem,
First and foremost, we would like to reiterate Japan’s commitment to its partnership with UNFPA. UNFPA is the lead agency for advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, which form an integral part of the effort to achieve Universal Health Coverage, an important global agenda for Japan.
As Executive Director said, this year marks the 25th anniversary since the International Conference on Population and Development and its global review is expected before the end of this year. We look forward to deepening discussions on population issues, which is one of the important mandates of the UNFPA.
In November of this year, the Asia-Pacific Regional Office and ESCAP are due to organize their regional meeting and adopt the regional reports. We expect that the process will contribute to addressing the population issues in Asia, including population ageing, in particular. In this connection, we strongly hope that this meeting will provide a useful venue to consider ways to make the best use of UNFPA’s relative strengths and expertise in support of analysis of population dynamics, as well as the population census, in overall population issues, especially population ageing.
Madam President,
Japan highly appreciates the UNFPA Strategic Plan, which outlines the multi-layered efforts being led by UNFPA at both national and regional levels. On the other hand, we would like to see more concrete and quantified indicators of the positive impacts of UNFPA’s efforts with regard to the global SRHR agenda, going beyond the immediate outcomes achieved by UNFPA.
In the area of UNFPA’s humanitarian efforts, Japan is committed to maintaining its partnership through financial and other meaningful contributions. We duly noted that the Strategic Plan has been developed taking account the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and we count on UNFPA to continue to respond to a multitude of humanitarian needs, including in the area of Disaster Risk Reduction, taking advantage of UNFPA’s skillset, including in the area of population statistics.
Madam President,
Japan continues to place strong emphasis on synergic co-operation and partnership among UN organizations, from both financial and efficiency perspectives. We reiterate our request that UNFPA collaborate effectively with its sister organizations at the UN, taking into account each organization’s respective mandates, as well as their comparative advantages. We also hope that UNFPA continues to strengthen its partnership with private sector and NGOs, as they may be able to operate with greater flexibility and agility. Furthermore, we expect UNFPA to continue to consider innovative funding methods in order to meet the growing expectations that it attracts, and in view of its 50th anniversary next year.
Madam President,
In 2019, Japan will host a series of global events, including the G20 Summit and the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development, or TICAD 7, while the UN General Assembly will convene the High Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage. Through these and other activities, we will continue to enhance momentum for the improvement of health world-wide, while continuing to support the efforts of UNFPA.
I thank you.