Press Releases
Meeting between Foreign Minister Iwaya and Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Steiner
On December 16, commencing at 12:20 p.m. for approximately 20 minutes, Mr. IWAYA Takeshi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, held a meeting with Mr. Achim Steiner, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), who is visiting Japan upon the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan to attend the Symposium to Commemorate the 70th Anniversary of Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA). The overview is as follows.
- At the outset, Minister Iwaya explained that, amid the deepening division and confrontation in the international community, Japan intends to work with the Global South and other countries in playing a role in leading the international community toward cooperation, and that Japan would like to further strengthen its strategic partnership with UNDP under the concept of human security. In response, Administrator Steiner expressed his appreciation for Japan's collaboration with UNDP on the ground in addition to its strategic goals, wished to continue deepening their collaboration in a broad range of fields, and conveyed his sincere gratitude for Japan's support.
- Minister Iwaya stated that Japan highly values UNDP’s role in market development to encourage private sector participation and in governance support, and that in order to achieve the SDGs it was important to mobilize private financing and expertise as well as the latest technologies, including AI.
- The two sides exchanged views on a wide range of matters, including support for the Middle East, the nature of development policy in the future, and the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9).
UNDP is the largest development organization within the United Nations system. UNDP has a global network with a high level of expert knowledge and a wealth of experience, and is performing a leading role in promoting initiatives towards achieving the SDGs.
UNDP is an important partner for Japan in the promotion of the development agenda, including as the co-organizer of TICAD. Japan is working together with UNDP to resolve global challenges such as promoting and spreading human security, health (Universal Health Coverage (UHC)), gender equality, and supporting measures against climate change.