（Check against delivery）
Statement by H.E. Mr. Jun Yamazaki,
Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations
Annual Session of the Executive Board of UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS:
UNDP Segment
10 June 2013
Mr. President,
First of all, I would like to congratulate the Administrator for her reappointment. I would also like to thank the Administrator for her statement on the cumulative review and annual report, to which my delegation listened with great interest. We were very much encouraged to hear UNDP’s progress toward achieving the current UNDP Strategic Plan 2008-2013.
(TICAD V)
Mr. President,
Japan and UNDP are close partners in all aspects, and our collaboration toward achieving development in Africa is no exception. Last week, the Government of Japan, together with UNDP, the UN, the World Bank and the African Union Commission co-organized the Fifth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD V) in Japan. My delegation would like to thank the Administrator for her participation and contribution as a speaker in many segments. My delegation would also like to convey our sincere thanks to all the Member States who made this conference a huge success.
TICAD V concluded with the adoption of the Yokohama Declaration 2013 and the Yokohama Action Plan 2013-2017, both of which state clearly the measures to further advance African development. The Japanese Government announced its commitment to support African growth through public and private means of 3.2 trillion JPY (about 32 billion USD), including ODA of around 1.4 trillion JPY (about 14 billion USD) over the next 5 years. Japan regards African development as one of the priority agenda items at the United Nations. Building on the outcome of TICAD V, Japan will continue to address this issue as a priority.
(Strategic Plan 2014-2017)
Mr. President,
The eradication of poverty, not only in Africa but around the world, continues to be one of the greatest challenges that the world faces today. The vision as presented in the draft UNDP Strategic Plan 2014-2017 is to help countries achieve eradication of extreme poverty and significant reduction of inequalities and exclusion simultaneously using a sustainable human development approach; an approach that will enhance human security. The plan also comprehensively includes, in its seven outcomes, issues that have been discussed in the context of the post-2015 development agenda, such as sustainability, inclusiveness, rule of law, gender equality, disaster risk reduction, climate change and early recovery from conflict. Though there still seem to be points that should be fine-tuned in due course, Japan welcomes the comprehensiveness of the Strategic plan as well as its focus on poverty eradication through UNDP’s unique approach, and supports its basic concept and structure.
I would also like to draw your attention to the points, especially on inter-agency issues, raised in the QCPR resolution last year. Chapter 4 of the QCPR resolution mentions the question of improvement of function of the UN development system. Collaboration and the division of labor among the various agencies in the UN development system need to be improved, in order to ensure the system as a whole can function more effectively. In this regard, UNDP should strengthen the coordination with other agencies. Moreover, agencies should coordinate to set common indicators on QCPR related issues. Given that the Administrator is the chair of the UN development group, the Administrator is expected to play a key role in improving the functioning of the UN development system, and this role needs to be incorporated into the UNDP Strategic Plan in addition to the common indicators throughout the UN system.
In order to help people who are in need on the ground, the UN development group as a whole needs to identify and address widespread and cross-cutting challenges to the survival, livelihood and dignity of the people, through the protection and empowerment of people and communities. This comprehensive approach is “human security”. Thanks to the presentation by the Administrator, the effectiveness and the added value of human security on the ground was recognized and shared amongst the participants at the high level event on human security held at the United Nations on 8 May. Japan expects UNDP to vigorously lead the UNDG to deliver this comprehensive approach effectively.
Japan is committed to actively engage in discussions and contribute to the finalization of the Strategic Plan.
(Japan’s Contribution in 2013)
Mr. President,
As my delegation mentioned at the first regular session in January, we believe that this year will be a landmark year both for acceleration of progress toward the achievement of the current MDGs and for the discussions on the post-2015 development agenda, in both of which UNDP has a prominent role. That is why, despite the tremendous fiscal pressure on our ODA budget and the recent drastic depreciation of the Japanese Yen, Japan decided to contribute over 80 million dollars to UNDP’s regular resources in 2013, and has disbursed over 200 million dollars so far this year as other resources for Afghanistan, Myanmar, South Sudan, Palestine, Haiti, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Middle East and African countries.
Mr. President,
In closing, I would like to reiterate our expectation that the UNDP Strategic Plan 2014-2017 will pave the way forward for UNDP to better position itself and strengthen its role.
I thank you.
