Statement by Motohide Yoshikawa

Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations

At the High-level Conference

 “UNRWA@65: Sustaining Human Development and Protecting Rights of Palestine Refugees”

2 June 2015

 

 

Thank you Mr. Chair,

(Mr. Chris Gunness, Spokesperson, Director of Advocacy and Strategic Communications of UNRWA)

 

This year marks the 65th year of operation of UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East).  The Agency carries out relief efforts to what is now the largest and most protracted refugee population in the world.  

 

Hence, the anniversary is not only a testament to the invaluable work of the Agency, but a stark reminder that four generations of Palestinians remain without a state to call home. The growing number of refugees and the increasing instability of the region make UNRWA’s work more important than ever.

 

We pay tribute to successive Commissioner-Generals and their staff in providing much needed relief efforts to the more than five million refugees spread across Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.  I welcome the new Commissioner-General Krähenbühl, and wish him the best in his endeavors.  

 

As one of the major donors to UNRWA, Japan stands with the Palestinian refugees and will continue to do so. Our assistance to the Agency goes back to 1953, preceding even our accession to the United Nations in 1956. Our assistance to UNRWA has steadily increased, reaching a record-high 45 million dollars in fiscal year 2014. Additionally, at any given moment, dedicated Japanese staffs are on the ground carrying out UNRWA’s relief efforts. 

 

Nonetheless, the recurrence of violence in Gaza and the worsening Syria crisis, including the siege of Yarmouk camp, are seriously affecting the Palestinian refugees.

 

In addition, the dire economy of the region, most notably in Gaza, further compounds their struggle. We note with concern that the worsening economic situation undermines the human security of the population by ebbing away the already precarious social cohesion and stability of these areas.  

 

There is much that the international community can do. We are alarmed that only 28% of the pledges made at the Gaza Reconstruction Conference last October have been disbursed. Japan has disbursed in full its 20 million dollar pledge and calls on all countries to fulfill their pledges.   

 

Moreover, the ongoing blockade of Gaza is hampering not only the reconstruction process, but is also taking its toll on the area’s economic prospects. We call on parties to work towards ending the Gaza blockade, while duly taking security concerns into account.

 

In addition to relief efforts, Japan will continue to help Palestinians achieve economic sustainability and lead healthy, dignified and fulfilling lives, which are pillars of human security.

 

For example, through the establishment of the Jericho Agro-Industrial Park, we are working to create an export center with the potential to create 7,000 jobs with economic benefits reaching 40 million dollars.

 

Furthermore, Japan has established the “Conference on the Cooperation among East Asian countries for Palestinian Development” (CEAPAD) with the presence of UNRWA. Through CEAPAD, we are providing economic capacity-building in fields such as agriculture and finance in collaboration with Southeast Asian countries.

 

Japan will continue such efforts, firm in our belief that a sustainable Palestinian economy will underpin the viability of a two-state solution.  

 

In closing, allow me to share a short anecdote, which I learned about from Dr. Akihiro Seita, Director of UNRWA's Health Programme.  You may recall that a devastating earthquake shook our nation in March 2011. It is perhaps less known that every March since then, children in Gaza gather to fly kites to express their solidarity, in spite of the difficulties they themselves face. 

 

These young children provided us encouragement and solidarity at a time when our country most needed them. Such manifestation of humanity touches at the heart of why the international community must stay involved and redouble its relief efforts. 

 

Behind every refugee lies a story; not only of hardships and survival, but also of potentials and hopes to be realized. Japan, in cooperation with UNRWA, will continue to exert its utmost effort to nurture and fulfill the hopes and aspirations of every Palestinian refugee. 

 

I thank you, Mr. Chair