Press Releases
Meeting between Foreign Minister HAYASHI and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme
October 4, 2022
On October 4, commencing at 10:00 a.m. for approximately 15 minutes, Mr. HAYASHI Yoshimasa, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, received a courtesy visit by Ms. Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The summary of the meeting is as follows:
- At the outset, Minister Hayashi welcomed the courtesy visit and congratulated UNEP on the 50th anniversary of its establishment and the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the UNEP International Environmental Technology Center (IETC), also highly appreciating UNEP’s extensive work on the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and chemical substances and pollution,, as the only UN agency specializing in global environmental issues.
- In response, Executive Director Andersen expressed her gratitude for the cooperation with Japan and explained the work of UNEP and IETC in addressing global issues.
- Minister Hayashi stated that Japan hopes to engage in negotiations on an internationally legally binding instrument on plastic pollution from this November, closely collaborating with UNEP and IETC, which are important partners to tackle environmental issues. Executive Director Andersen responded that she would like to further strengthen cooperation with Japan.
- During her visit to Japan, Executive Director Andersen also participated in an event commemorating the 30th anniversary of the IETC.
(Reference)United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
UNEP was established to implement the "Declaration on the Human Environment" and the "International Action Plan for the Environment" adopted at the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in June 1972 (Headquarters: Nairobi). It is the only UN agency that specializes in environmental issues.