Press Releases

1. While assessing the work of the GAP, Secretary Blinkenmentioned that the global community remains at risk so long as COVID-19 continues to spreadand that we remain engaged to enhance action and coordination needed to better prepare to prevent, detect, and respond to future health security threats, in a rapid, transparent, safe, secure, accountable, and more equitable manner.
2. In his remarks, Minister Hayashi pointed out that we are still facing challenges in ensuring "equitable access" to vaccines throughout the world, and our efforts should continue while we have seen remarkable progress in the situation surrounding vaccination thanks to various efforts made through the GAP after a year since its launch. Minister Hayashi further introduced Japan's contribution of 50 million USD to the newly-established Pandemic Fund and support of up to 100 million USD in order to assist the economic and social revitalization and the resumption of cross-border travel for developing countries.
   
   Moreover, Minister Hayashi emphasized that global health is one of the priority issues to address at the G7 Hiroshima Summit in May. He highlighted that the G7 Summit would advance discussion based on the following three pillars: (1) developing and strengthening global health architecture (GHA), (2) contributing to achieving more resilient, equitable, and sustainable universal health coverage (UHC), and (3) promoting health innovation. He further expressed Japan's determination to continue to play a leading role in these areas.
3. Foreign Ministers including Minister Hayashi, Dr. A.K. Abdul Momen, Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, and Ms. Annalena Baerbock, Foreign Minister of Germany as former co-hosts of this series of meetings, and other representatives from countries, regions and international organizations including Dr. Tedros Adhanom, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), representatives from European Union (EU) and African Union (AU), participated in the meeting. They had various active and fruitful discussions and asserted that the GAP played a significant role to end the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as affirmed their commitment to promote international cooperation through political dialogues and other means.

［Reference1］Statement by Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa (PDF)

［Reference2］Chair's Statement (PDF)