Women's Issues
Foreign Minister KAMIKAWA’s participation in the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Focal Points Network High-Level Side Event
On September 21, commencing at 11:10 a.m. (local time; September 22, 12:10 a.m. JST) for approximately 30 minutes, Ms. KAMIKAWA Yoko, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, who is visiting New York, U.S. to attend the United Nations General Assembly, participated the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Focals Point Network High-Level Side Event co-hosted by the United States and Romania. The overview of the event is as follows.
- Minister Kamikawa was the first speaker in the national statements that followed the opening remarks by the Network's Co-Chairs, The Honorable Antony Blinken, Secretary of State of the United States of America, Ms. Luminița Odebescu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania, Ms. Rebecca Grynspan, Secretary General of UNCTAD, and Ms. Sima Bahous, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UN Women. The moderator introduced Minister Kamikawa as a "truly great leader" for WPS promotion.
- Minister Kamikawa stated that she had participated in a symposium about WPS last year as the panelist and was glad to be back again as Foreign Minister. She introduced that Japan is making progress in establishing a domestic framework to promote WPS as a result of dialogues with countries that have advanced WPS initiatives and advocacy to the government after the establishment of a parliamentary league on WPS, and pointed out the importance of incorporating WPS into not only conflict but also disaster response.
- Minister Kamikawa stated that Japan, as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, will continue to promote the discussion of WPS as an important agenda of the United Nations, and expressed his support for the "Center of Excellence" on WPS that the Co-Chairs are promoting. She also expressed that Japan hopes to deepen cooperation with ASEAN in the area of WPS in this 50th anniversary year of Japan-ASEAN Friendship and Cooperation, and said that Japan would like to further contribute to promote the WPS agenda with the members of the WPS Focal Points Network.
In 2000, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) unanimously adopted the UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), which stated for the first time in the Council's history that international peace and conflict prevention and resolution require the equal participation of women, protection against sexual violence in conflict, and gender equality. To implement the resolution and related resolutions, Japan has so far formulated and implemented three rounds of action plans.
The WPS Focal Points Network is the largest network on WPS in UN member countries to share lessons learned and good practices. In addition to governments, regional organizations such as NATO, OSCE, AU, and ASEAN also participate in the network; as of September 2023, a total of 100 members from 90 countries and 10 regional organizations are the participants.
