Japan and the United Nations

Your Excellency, Vesna Pusić, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

First of all, I would like to pay tribute to Your Excellency, as chair of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), and Ms. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women, for having taken the initiative to hold this meeting.

 

Madam Chair,

 

Because of their vulnerable position in society, women and children are especially prone to the negative effects of conflicts. In order to build a post-conflict society where women are fully incorporated into society, it is vital to go beyond supporting women as merely “victims” of violence. It is absolutely essential to encourage their participation in the peacebuilding process and enable them with a solid economic foundation.

 

In this regard, I commend the Secretary-General’s effort in promoting the Seven-Point Action Plan for gender-responsive peacebuilding. We believe that this meeting is a great opportunity for Member States to reaffirm their commitments to strengthening their undertakings in working towards the same direction. 

 

Madam Chair,

 

Japan has placed great importance on peacebuilding as one of the major pillars of its foreign policies. This Fall, Japan, as the Chair of the PBC’s Working Group on Lessons Learned, plans to organize a meeting on the topic of gender. Building on today’s meeting, we will strive to draw lessons and best practices that will allow us to put the outcomes of today’s meeting into practice.

 

Effective promotion of　women's　economic empowerment　in　the　peacebuilding　process　requires　strengthened　capacity　building efforts and enhanced coordination among national governments and various development partners.

 

In　this　context,　the　activities　funded　by　the　Peacebuilding　Funds　(PBF)　are　expected　to　be　catalytic in facilitating further activities funded by other sources. The international community should further improve coordination so as to maximize effectiveness and complementarities.

 

For example, Japan is supporting women’s empowerment through bilateral cooperation projects in such countries as Nepal, where PBF is mobilized for the same cause. We can increase synergy by the appropriate division of roles among activities funded by PBF and other development partners. To this end, we hope to see a deepened collaboration by the international community both in the field and in New York.

 

 We also count on the expertise of UN Women, as one of the key implementing agencies of gender-sensitive projects in the peacebuilding context, to lead us by presenting viable frameworks and approaches from the international community for the promotion of women’s post-conflict economic empowerment. 

 

Madame Chair,

 

Women are blessed with significant potential–politically, economically and socially. Japan announced initiatives to strengthen assistance for women in Africa at the Fifth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD V). Building on our discussion today, we are fully committed to continuing our utmost efforts bilaterally, multilaterally, and through contributions to UN peacebuilding architecture, in order to realize peacebuilding where women are sufficiently incorporated throughout the process.  

 

Thank you for your attention.