Japan and the United Nations

On December 15, commencing at 4:45 p.m. (local time; 6:45 a.m. on December 16, Japan time) for approximately 20 minutes, Mr. Taro Kono, Minister for Foreign Affairs, held a meeting with H.E. Dr. Miroslav Lajčák, President of the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly (Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic). The overview of the meeting is as follows.

1. At the beginning, President Lajčák mentioned that the four priority areas of this United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session are peace and security, migrants and refugees, UN reform and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Minister Kono explained that principles of Japan’s international cooperation, such as, the concept of human security and “humanitarian- development nexus”, accord with President Lajčák’s vision, and expressed his willingness for cooperation. 
2. Following that, the two sides discussed UN Security Council (UNSC) reform. Minister Kono stated that Japan attaches great importance to the launch of text-based negotiations in this session of the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) and the achievement of visible progress, and expressed his expectation in President Lajčák’s leadership. The two sides reaffirmed to cooperate on this matter. 
3. Furthermore, Minister Kono explained about the UNSC Ministerial-Level Meeting on Non-Proliferation/ DPRK, which was held earlier on the same day, and exchanged views on North Korea. Minister Kono also appealed about the importance of the adoption of the Resolution on the Situation of Human Rights in the Democratic Peoples’ Republic of Korea at the plenary session, which was co-tabled by Japan and the European Union (EU).