Section 2 Convening of the UHC Forum 2017
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe delivering a speech at UHC Forum 2017, held in Tokyo in December 2017 (Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office)
During the UN General Assembly in September 2017, Japan hosted an event to promote UHC. At the event, Prime Minister Abe shared the following recognition with leaders driving the global health sector - that the achievement of UHC, positioned as an international goal under the SDGs, not only contributes to resolving health issues, but also reduces disparities and helps to develop a foundation for people's lives, and therefore, plays an extremely important role in achieving many of the targets set out under the SDGs. He also called for greater interest towards the importance of UHC in the international community. Furthermore, at the UHC Forum 2017 held in Tokyo in December 2017, he emphasized the importance of strengthening momentum towards promoting UHC promoting collaboration with governments and donors, continuous monitoring, mobilization of domestic resources and international assistance, and promoting innovation in the global health sector, in accelerating the promotion of UHC. He also declared that Japan provides assistance to a total of $2.9 billion, in order to support the efforts of countries and organizations to achieve UHC.
Japan is a frontrunner in promoting UHC. Japan can concretely contribute toward promoting the “proactive contribution to peace” and achieving of the SDGs by showing its continuous leadership in UHC, which commit to the achievement of SDGs' principal: “Human security” and “No one left behind.” It also leads to enhance these efforts enhancing Japan's “soft power” in the international society.