Statement by H.E. Mr. Motohide Yoshikawa
Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations
At the General Assembly Plenary Meeting
On Agenda Item 31: Report of the Peacebuilding Commission and
Agenda Item 110: Report of the Secretary-General on the Peacebuilding Fund
27 April 2016
Mr. President,
It is my great pleasure to address the General Assembly at this joint debate. I would like to begin by congratulating Ambassador Macharia Kamau, Permanent Representative of Kenya, for assuming the chairmanship of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) for 2016. I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to Ambassador Olof Skoog, Permanent Representative of Sweden for his excellent leadership over the past year as the Chair of the PBC. I also thank all the Chairs of the country-specific configurations for their efforts.
Mr. President,
The year 2015 was very crucial for UN Peacebuilding activity. The activities of the PBC coincided with the review process of the UN Peacebuilding Architecture (PBA). Japan welcomes the simultaneous adoption of this important resolution today by both the General Assembly and the Security Council. I congratulate the Co-facilitators, the Permanent Representatives of Angola and Australia, and express my sincere gratitude for their tireless efforts.
Mr. President,
Now it is important that we all implement the resolution. Japan strongly hopes that this resolution will help the PBC better perform its intended function as an advisory body to the principal organs of the United Nations, especially the Security Council.
Let me illustrate this point by a specific example. The strength of the PBC lies in its long-term endeavors, of laying the ground work for peace. During my chairmanship of the Working Group on Lessons Learned of the PBC, we tried to highlight this comparative strength of the PBC. In 2015, the Working Group focused its work on the importance of institution-building. Throughout the discussion, the Working Group was firmly convinced that strengthening core state institutions that provide security, justice, and public administration, as well as basic social services is fundamental to a successful transition from post-conflict situations to lasting peace.
With a view to providing an input to the review process, such lessons learned and the remaining challenges were summarized in the final report of the Working Group titled, “Institution-building: the Challenges for the UN System.” The main points were also reflected in the annual report of the PBC which was just presented by Ambassador Skoog. The report of the Working Group is an embodiment of the PBC’s mandated advisory role, and I hope the report will continue to be referred to in future discussions.
I am pleased that the resolution refers to the importance of institution-building. I also welcome that the Security Council expresses its intention “to regularly request, deliberate and draw upon the specific, strategic and targeted advice of the PBC, including to assist with the longer-term perspective required for sustaining peace.” (Paragraph 8 of the resolution)
Let us now implement this resolution by regularly having the Security Council invite the PBC Chairs to the meetings and requesting their advice. I will do so during Japan’s Presidency of the Council in the month of July, if relevant agenda items are discussed.
Mr. President,
Securing adequate resources for peacebuilding and conflict prevention is crucial, as pointed out by many previous speakers. There is no denying that the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) has proven itself to be an important financial tool for this purpose. Recognizing both the usefulness and the current difficulties faced by the Fund, Japan contributed an additional 3.5 million US dollars to the PBF last month. This will make our total contribution 46 million US dollars.
The comparative advantage of the PBF lies in its ability to respond swiftly and flexibly. Japan has consistently argued that this strength of the Fund needs to be maintained, and must not be undermined. This position remains firmly intact. As this Assembly urges in the resolution, Japan calls on other Member States “to consider making voluntary contributions to the Fund.”
Mr. President,
As President of the Security Council, Japan plans to hold an open debate on "Peacebuilding in Africa" in the month of July. This open debate will build on the work of the PBC during 2015, as well as the General Assembly resolution just adopted. The open debate will provide an excellent opportunity for us to discuss the challenges and elevate our peacebuilding efforts even further in the years ahead.
Let me conclude my statement by reaffirming Japan’s strong commitment to peacebuilding.
I thank you, Mr. President.
END
