Statement by Mr. Noboru Sekiguchi

Minister, Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations

 GA briefing on the Secretary-General’s report on Strengthening the Global

Health Architecture: Implementation of the Recommendations of the High-Level

Panel on the Global Response to Health Crises

20 June 2016

 

 

Mr. President,
Distinguished Delegates,

 

          At the outset, I would like to express my appreciation to the President of the General Assembly, Mr. Mogens Lykketoft, for convening this important briefing and also my appreciation to the briefers for the several comprehensive presentations.

 

          In order to strengthen response to public health emergencies, leveraging the lessons learned from the Ebola Crisis, Japan welcomes the report of the High-level Panel under the leadership by His Excellency, Mr. Kikwete of Tanzania as well as the related SG report.

 

          Last month, Japan hosted the G7 Ise-shima Summit. As the host country and chair of the summit, we focused discussions, among other important issues, on global health agendas, including on reinforcing the global health architecture to strengthen response to public health emergencies. Let me introduce the four key messages conveyed from the summit meeting on this issue as follows:

 

          1. Urge and support WHO, which plays the central role in response to public health emergencies, to implement its urgently needed and comprehensive reforms.

 

          2. Invite the international community to review, strengthen and formalize its coordination arrangement for large-scale public health emergencies.

 

          3. Welcome the establishment of funding mechanisms for public health emergencies. In this connection, Japan made pledges of 50 million USD, each toward the           Contingency Fund for Emergency of WHO and the Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility of the World Bank.

 

          4. Enhance prevention and preparedness against emergencies while also advancing compliance with WHO’s International Health Regulation, and promoting

          Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

 
          In closing, let me reiterate that Japan will continue to make every effort to contribute to this important area in collaboration with the other Member States, as well as the international organizations.

 

I thank you.