Japan and the United Nations
Prime Minister Abe Holds Telephone Talks with UN Secretary-General-designate Guterres
On December 21, commencing at 8:45 a.m. for approximately 30 minutes, Mr. Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, held telephone talks with Mr. António Guterres, Secretary-General-designate of the United Nations (UN). The overview of the talks is as follows.
1.
(1) Prime Minister Abe extended his congratulations, noting that Secretary-General-designate Guterres is a friend of Japan and that his appointment is very encouraging.
(2) With regard to North Korea, Prime Minister Abe stated that the strict implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2321 is important and he hopes for cooperation on the abductions issue.
(3) Prime Minister Abe also noted that Japan will further enhance cooperation with the UN in South Sudan, making practical and constructive contributions to ensure peace and development and to stabilize the situation in the country. With regard to Syria, Prime Minister Abe stated that Japan supports and seeks to advance UN efforts to improve the humanitarian situation and achieve a political solution.
(4) Prime Minister Abe stated that Japan will work to advance human security and peacebuilding under the policy of “Proactive Contribution to Peace” based on the principle of international cooperation, and will work closely with the UN including in preventive diplomacy. He also expressed strong expectations for Secretary-General-designate Guterres’ leadership in initiatives to reform the United Nations Security Council. In addition, Prime Minister Abe noted that Japan will cooperate closely with the UN in efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in fields including Universal Health Coverage (UHC), climate change, disaster risk reduction and women’s issues.
2. In response, Secretary-General-designate Guterres noted that Japan is one of the most important partners of the UN. He stated that Japan’s commitment stands as a pillar for multilateralism and expressed support for Japan’s commitment to human security, peacebuilding and preventive diplomacy within the three pillars of the UN, namely peace and security, development and human rights. Secretary-General-designate Guterres also acknowledged that North Korea, South Sudan and Syria pose important challenges and that the UN will continue to cooperate closely with Japan, which is an important financial, political and strategic contributor to the organization.