Statement by Ambassador Jun Yamazaki

at Peacebuilding Fund
Annual High-Level Stakeholders Meeting

29 November 2012

The Government of Japan appreciates the leadership shown by the Secretary-General and Ms. Judy Cheng-Hopkins in organizing this annual stakeholders meeting. Today’s meeting provides all stakeholders an excellent opportunity to review the progress and lessons learned regarding the PBF, including the valuable input from the Advisory Group. I would also like to express my appreciation to the PBSO for its tireless efforts for furthering the effectiveness and the efficient workings of the PBF.

 The PBF’s role as a catalyst is crucial for addressing critical gaps in the peacebuilding process, particularly in areas for which no other funding mechanism is immediately available. This catalytic role needs to be leveraged through national commitments of recipient countries and additional resources from donors. In this regard, it is encouraging to hear of successful cases, such as the project for security sector reform in Guinea or the project to facilitate social reintegration in Burundi, where activities initially supported by the PBF have successfully led other donors to contribute from other sources of funding.

 It is also noteworthy that a partnership with World Bank, a major player in global peacebuilding, has been strengthened. The Government of Japan welcomes such cooperation and expects that both entities, the World Bank and the PBF, will play an important and complementary role by making the best use of their respective comparative advantages.

 The review of the PBF in 2013 will provide all stakeholders with an excellent opportunity to examine how the PBF has progressed and to move towards better and clearer strategies for global peacebuilding. The Government of Japan intends to constructively participate in this review.

 The synergy and close cooperation between the PBC and the PBF can be further enhanced, since both are central elements of the United Nation’s Peacebuilding architecture.

 
My delegation notes that there is still room for the PBF and donors to further cooperate towards peacebuilding on the ground. In this regard, closer coordination between the PBF and donors through Joint Steering Committees or donor’s meetings in recipient countries could be explored to increase synergy.

 As one of the major contributors to the PBF, the Government of Japan contributed 12.5 million dollars in 2011 to the PBF. Japan hopes that effectiveness of the Fund will be further enhanced so that it may bring further tangible results.

 The Government of Japan, in close cooperation with other Member States and partners, remains strongly committed to the work of the PBF as we move from 2012 to 2013 and beyond.