Statement by Mr. Takeshi Osuga,
Minister, Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations
At the opening session of CSD-19,
2 May 2011

Mr. Chair,

I would like to join the previous speakers in congratulating you, Bureau members and the Secretariat on the excellent preparations for this session. I would also like to thank you at the outset for kind words of sympathy to the victims of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on March 11. The Delegation of Japan is fully committed to engage itself constructively in the policy dialogue on the important thematic issues of the Fourth Implementation Cycle.

The growing scarcity and degradation of natural resource coupled with the pressure of world population and economic growth calls for a new paradigm that enables us to overcome the traditional dichotomies of developed versus developing countries and the environment versus development. We must develop a green growth model, which reconciles economic development and environmental protection.

Japan turned away from being a society of mass production and consumption in 2003 by adopting the Fundamental Plan for Establishing a Sound Material-Cycle Society, promoting the principle of the 3R’s: reduce, reuse and recycle. To share our experience in this field, on Thursday, 12 May, my Government will organize a side event entitled “Building Partnerships for Moving towards Zero Waste” jointly with UN DESA and United Nations Center for Regional Development (UNCRD). My Government also collaborates closely with UNCRD to promote “Environmentally Sustainable Transport” to cope with the impacts of rapid economic growth and urbanization in Asia.

Mr. Chair,

Last but not least, I would like to remind the distinguished delegates to the CSD-19 of the inter-relatedness of the various developmental issues at stake. Each of the thematic issues we highlight at this Policy Session should be considered with the broader picture of sustainable development in sight. We are convinced that through the lens of human security and by focusing on the human dimension of each issue, we would better understand the intertwined nature of sustainable development.

To conclude, the Delegation of Japan expresses its sincere hope that the policy dialogue during the CSD-19 will contribute toward nurturing the collaborative spirit with which the Member States should prepare for the Rio + 20.

Thank you very much.