Statement by Mr. Kazufumi Aoki, Second Secretary
At the General Debate of the 4th Committee of the United Nations
General Assembly Under the Agenda Item
“United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East”
3 November 2016
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The international community today faces the worst refugee crisis since the Second World War. Palestinian refugees find themselves in increasingly severe conditions due to recurring conflicts in Gaza and the deteriorating situation in Syria.
In this environment, UNRWA’s role in assisting Palestinian refugees, the largest group of refugees suffering from the most prolonged humanitarian crisis, is more important than ever. Japan extends its appreciation to UNRWA for its front-line efforts and offers its heartfelt condolences over those who have lost their lives.
This year, the international community has gathered on multiple occasions to discuss issues regarding migration and refugee. In May 2016, the World Humanitarian Summit was held in Turkey. Japan’s former Prime Minister, Yasuo Fukuda, attended the Summit and announced a 6 billion dollar assistance package over the next 3 years. The package will include capacity building for 20,000 people in the Middle East and North Africa region.
In the same month, Prime Minister Abe hosted the G7 Ise-Shima Summit, which resulted in a Leaders’ declaration stressing the importance of mid- to long-term efforts to address migration and refugee issues.
Also this year, Prime Minister Abe took part in the Leaders’ Summit on Refugees and the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants in September. Japan has announced a 2.8 billion dollar assistance package from 2016 through 2018 to support humanitarian needs and self-reliance for refugees and migrants, as well as host countries and communities.
Mr. Chairman,
Japan has worked closely with UNRWA for many years. Japan made its first contribution to UNRWA in 1953, even before it had joined the United Nations. We are happy to note that we have made our largest contributions ever to UNRWA over the past two years. We were also pleased to welcome Mr. Pierre Krahenbuhl, UNRWA Commissioner-General, to Japan to exchange views with senior officials, the private sector, the media, and Japanese NGOs working in Palestine. His remarks on how Japanese assistance contributes to improving the livelihood of the Palestinian refugees have raised awareness of the issue in Japan.
Mr. Chairman,
International attention lately tends to focus on humanitarian crises in other regions, but we must not forget the plight of Palestinian refugees. Japan highly appreciates the role UNRWA plays in maintaining the stability of the region, looks forward to continuing to work with UNRWA to provide assistance as the international community pursues a lasting solution.
Thank you.
