Statement by H.E. Mr. Yasuhisa Kawamura
Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations
At the General Assembly Plenary Meeting
On Agenda Item 29: Report of the Peacebuilding Commission and
Agenda Item 110: Report of the Secretary-General on the Peacebuilding Fund
20 April 2017

 

 

Mr. President,

 

          It is my great pleasure to address the General Assembly at this joint debate. I would like to begin by congratulating Ambassador Cho Tae-yul for assuming the chairmanship of the Peacebuilding Commission for 2017. I would also like to thank Ambassador Macharia Kamau for Kenya’s leadership over the past year. I thank all Chairs of the country-specific configurations for their efforts.

 

Mr. President,

 

          2016 was a year of review. We saw the simultaneous adoption in April of resolutions by the General Assembly and the Security Council on the review of the UN Peacebuilding Architecture. 2017, in turn, must be a year of implementation where we translate the review into concrete and practical results. Japan strongly hopes that these resolutions will help the PBC diversify its working methods to enhance its efficiency and flexibility, expand the geographical scope of the PBC, and employ its particular strength: its long-term endeavors which lay the groundwork for sustaining peace. Japan also attaches importance to enhanced coordination and cooperation between the PBC and the Security Council.

 

          One of the key elements of the Report of the PBC on its tenth session, which has just been submitted to the General Assembly, is to expand from a country-specific approach to include a thematic approach by creating Focal Points. We hope that this expansion of approach would reinvigorate the PBC and turn it into a more effective organ. Japan has been appointed as the Focal Point for Institution-Building and will do its best to integrate this theme into the work of the PBC. We would like to align our work with the priorities of the Chair and consider it important to review our efforts, including the creation of Focal Points, at the end of this session, in order to keep improving the working methods of the PBC. We look forward to further discussion on how to best make use of Focal Points in various areas.

 

Mr. President,

 

          Sustaining peace requires not only strong leaders  but also solid institutions in areas ranging from security and the rule of law to democracy and governance as well as trust of the people in these institutions. A sub-regional approach is often required for effective measures in areas such as border control.

 

          The Focal Point for Institution-Building will respond to the growth of region-wide and cross-border issues that could not be resolved by individual countries alone. We will provide opportunities to consolidate the necessary expertise and bridge peacebuilding needs with the support of bilateral and multilateral donors. Partnerships with international financial institutions such as the World Bank will enable a renewed focus on financing for peace, as laid out by the Chair.

 

          Last week, Japan convened an interactive workshop to discuss the importance of strengthening criminal justice system in peacebuilding. We also plan to discuss other important institutional challenges such as border control and financial structures later this year. We hope that these discussions will lead to concrete projects and collaboration among beneficiary countries, donors and relevant international institutions.

 

Mr. President,

 

          Securing adequate resources for peacebuilding is crucial, and the Peacebuilding Fund has proven itself to be an important financial tool for this purpose. In recognition of the Fund’s usefulness as well as the current difficulties it faces, Japan contributed an additional 2.5 million US dollars last month. Our total contribution has now reached 48.5 million US dollars. Japan echoes the call in last year’s PBA Review resolution for other Member States to consider making voluntary contributions to the Fund.

 

          It is critical that PBF and PBC work in tandem to bring about maximum results with limited resources. In this regard, Japan supports Ambassador Cho’s initiative to enhance collaboration between PBC member states and the Peacebuilding Support Office. Also, widely publicizing the success stories of PBF projects around the world is the key for the Fund to attract the necessary resources. In addition, the PBF can explore more innovative approaches such as collaboration with the private sector.

 

          Let me conclude my statement by reaffirming Japan’s strong commitment to building and sustaining peace.

 

          I thank you, Mr. President.

 

 

END