Humanitarian Assistance / Emergency Assistance
Foreign Minister Mr. Taro Kono attends the Ministerial Meeting on United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
September 27, 2018


- On the afternoon of Thursday, September 27 (New York time), Mr. Taro Kono, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, attended the Ministerial Meeting on UNRWA during his visit to the United States of America.
- This meeting was co-hosted by Japan, Jordan, Sweden, Turkey, Germany and the European Union (EU), and was attended by H.E. Mr. António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres, Secretary-General of the UN, H.E. Mrs. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, President of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, and Mr. Pierre Krähenbühl, Commissioner-General of UNRWA, as well as ministers and representatives of various countries and organizations. A lively exchange of views took place on responses for improving UNRWA’s financial shortfall, and UNRWA’s medium- to long-term strategies.
- Minister Kono expressed the view that UNRWA’s activities are important from a humanitarian perspective and in terms of the stability of the region, and explained that Japan will continue to engage in supporting UNRWA by cooperating with the international community. Furthermore, Minister Kono noted that Japan has already decided to contribute 40 million USD to UNRWA this year, and is also planning to give an additional assistance of approximately 4.5 million USD to help with electricity shortfalls in Gasa. Minister Kono also explained that as a contribution to boost Asia’s involvement to UNRWA, Japan called on Asian countries to support UNRWA by utilizing the opportunity of Ministerial Meeting of the Conference on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development (CEAPAD) that was held in Thailand in June this year.