Humanitarian Assistance / Emergency Assistance
Exchange of Views between Mr. MOTEGI, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan and Mr. Saunders, Commissioner-General ad interim of the UNRWA
July 22, 2026
On July 22(local time), Mr. MOTEGI Toshimitsu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, who is visiting Manila, Philippines, to attend ASEAN-related conferences and meetings, held an exchange of views with Mr. Christian Saunders, Commissioner-General ad interim of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) on the sideline of the 5th Ministerial Meeting of the Conference on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development (CEAPAD).
- Minister MOTEGI welcomed Commissioner-General a.i. Saunders’ participation in the 5th CEAPAD Ministerial Meeting and stated that Japan, while recognizing the importance of UNRWA, supports further implementation of the efforts to improve its governance and ensure neutrality as matters of concern to the international community.
- In response, Mr. Saunders expressed his gratitude for Japan's long-standing support for UNRWA and confirmed UNRWA’s continued commitment to address the issues raised by Minister MOTEGI.
- Both sides concurred on continuing cooperation for the support of Palestine refugees.