YouSaid · the spoken record

Shinzo Abe

lines on the record: 122
first: 2013-09-24
most recent: 2019-09-24
sittings or episodes: 7
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Let me also say that at the core of the Japanese Government I have formed a special team, which I lead directly, that is working to further the Sustainable Development Goals. The Government of Japan will accelerate the work towards early conclusion of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and will carry out without fail its pledge to provide ¥1.3 trillion in assistance for developing countries by 2020. I will make sure that this will be done. Japan will spare no effort in strengthening the United Nations in the 60 years to come, just as it did over the past 60 years. I wish to pledge this, grounded in trust in the Japanese people.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“It was only through a free and open trade and investment environment that Japan was able to grow — the very same environment that is responsible for the present-day prosperity of the countries of Asia. Peace, stability and safety at sea, together with freedom of navigation and overflight, are the basis for the peace and prosperity of the international community. In the event of disputes, the international community must adhere strictly to the principle that States shall make their claims based on international law, shall not use force or coercion in support of their claims and shall seek to settle disputes by peaceful means. Japan will unfailingly continue to uphold a world order that is open, free and unwavering in its commitment to the rule of law and international norms.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“As I see it, the United Nations has historically been committed to three great causes: devotion to peace, the pursuit of growth, and the desire for a world free of injustice and unfairness. I believe members will recognize that Japan is a country that has made all-out efforts to promote all three of those causes over the past 60 years. Growth serves as the foundation for all else. Only when there is growth does peace take root and can injustices be rectified over time. Take a look and see how greater Asia has now surpassed every other region as regards the size of its population living under democracy. This is precisely the fruit of the growth that Asia has been enjoying since the mid-1980s, which happens also to be the time at which Japanese companies began their large-scale direct investments in Asian nations.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“I declare before the national representatives gathered here in the General Assembly Hall that this is our absolute resolve. No matter the issue before us, or how many challenges we are faced with, Japan, as it marks its sixtieth year of membership, will spare no effort to strengthen the United Nations. The cumulative total of the assessed contributions to the United Nations and the assessed contributions to peacekeeping operations that Japan has paid, when their book value is tallied, easily exceeds $20 billion. The only country whose total financial contributions surpasses that of Japan over the past 30 years is the United States. In addition, our track record of development assistance amounts to $334.5 billion, again in terms of the book value.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“It was a pledge designed to be passed down from generation to generation, a pledge not to stop walking along the path that would make world peace and the elimination of nuclear weapons a reality. On this occasion today, I had originally intended to look back at the path we have trodden these 60 years and quietly reflect on Japan’s progress along that road, with world peace and prosperity as its goals. However, the North Korea threat is reaching a new level. Therefore, in the light of Japan having upheld its pledge these 60 years, and as the world focuses on whether the United Nations will thwart North Korea’s ambitions or the Security Council will be able to confront North Korea in a united way, I feel I must state that Japan, as a Security Council member, will lead the Council’s discussions.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Sixty-two years have elapsed, if we count from the moment that the toll of the bronze Peace Bell sent by a Japanese citizen began sounding in the front gardens of the United Nations grounds on the International Day of Peace, as it does every year. The bell was cast by melting down coins sent by Pope Pius XII and coins and medals sent by children and adults from more than 60 countries around the world. What was the wish of the Japanese people that accompanied it? Sixty years ago, when Japan was first seated in this Hall, it wholeheartedly advocated world peace and the elimination of nuclear weapons, as it has done consistently and unfailingly ever since.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Let us not forget that this is a country that abducted a large number of Japanese citizens, including a 13 year-old girl, shattering their peaceful lives, and to date they have not been allowed to return to their homeland. We have demanded that North Korea return them immediately, but they have refused. This is a country that tramples human rights, where the checks and balances of power are ignored. It is a country that continues to build up its arsenal, which includes missiles and nuclear weapons, while paying no attention to the plight of its citizens. The threat to the international community has become increasingly grave and real. It calls for innovative responses that are altogether different from previous approaches. In December, Japan will mark the sixtieth anniversary of its entry into the United Nations.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“A small crack can be overlooked for a while without changing, but before you know it, the crack expands and one day the glass shatters resoundingly. That is why, day in and day out, we must habituate ourselves to handling glass with great care, so that no cracks form. I believe that the original intention of the United Nations, created in the wake of two world wars, was that kind of keen awareness. For that very reason, it would simply be unacceptable to continue to tolerate military provocation, because that would be equivalent to openly cracking the glass. Moreover, the threat to peace now plainly manifests itself, and North Korea’s persistent military provocations are far more serious than before. North Korea is, without a doubt, poised to acquire submarine-launched ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Now is the time for the Security Council to adopt an unambiguous position regarding the unprecedented threat. It was only four months ago that President Obama visited Hiroshima, where countless innocent citizens fell victim to the first atomic bomb ever detonated. It was a day on which we renewed pledges. No matter how long it takes, we must never, even for the briefest moment, let up in our efforts to secure the total elimination of nuclear weapons. On that day, our pledges linked both sides of the Pacific and gained new strength. This notwithstanding, North Korea is now escalating its provocations. It is a challenge that we cannot overlook, as to do so would weigh on our collective conscience. Peace is much like glass — when polished and transparent, we do not see it.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“North Korea’s nuclear development and the repeated launches of ballistic missiles are two sides of the same coin. Before our very eyes, North Korea is carrying out a plan that is plain to see. It is clear that the threat has now reached a new dimension. We must therefore respond in a manner entirely distinct from our responses thus far. We must act in unison and thwart North Korea’s plans. Immediately upon hearing the report of the nuclear test, I telephoned President Barack Obama of the United States. After that I also held telephone talks with President Park Geun-hye of the Republic of Korea. We all agreed that our three countries would collaborate closely and show resolve in our attitude towards North Korea. Now is the time for the United Nations to act.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“North Korea has now openly shown itself to be a threat to peace. How must we respond? The raison d’être of the United Nations is now being seriously challenged. North Korea has tested submarine-launched ballistic missiles. Immediately after that, it fired three ballistic missiles simultaneously, each traversing 1,000 kilometres to reach Japan’s exclusive economic zone. It is purely a matter of good fortune that no commercial aircraft or ships suffered any damage during that incident. This year alone, North Korea has launched a total of 21 ballistic missiles. In addition, it claims to have successfully detonated a nuclear warhead in a test on 9 September. That nuclear test followed another test conducted in January. That series of missile launches and the detonation of a warhead completely changes the landscape.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Bearing the standard of its role as a proactive contributor to peace based on the principle of international cooperation, Japan is determined to undertake reform of the Security Council in order to transform the United Nations into a body relevant to the twenty-first century and subsequently, as a permanent member of the Security Council, to fulfil its responsibilities by making still greater contributions to world peace and prosperity. In conclusion, I look forward to Members’ kind understanding.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“If we are again selected this year thanks to the gracious support of all those here, it will be our eleventh time serving on the Council. More than any other country, Japan has subjected itself to review by its peers. The three points I have noted today represent some of Japan’s strengths, something that all here will concur with, based on the path we have trodden so far. We intend to use those strengths to help strengthen the United Nations. We are a people who have always seen in the two letters “UN” a certain radiance.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Three days ago, for the third consecutive year, I hosted the Japan-African Regional Economic Communities Summit Roundtable, meeting with leaders from the African countries concerned. For the past 20 years, Japan has also hosted the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), and next year for the first time TICAD will convene in Africa, where I hope to be able to listen to an even richer spectrum of African voices. Last night I also met with leaders from the Pacific island countries to discuss such matters as observing 5 November in common as World Tsunami Day, as well as conducting training and capacity- building related to tsunamis. Japan became a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the first time in 1958, two years after it was admitted to membership in the United Nations.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“We also recently made changes to our domestic legal framework that will enable us to contribute more broadly to peacekeeping operations going forward. Secondly, Japan is a country that values ownership and partnership. We have been of the view for many years that if we are to overcome despair and improve our welfare, it is important to give equal consideration both to the wishes and intentions of the parties concerned and to international cooperation. Our ultimate objective is to ensure that the people themselves gain the ownership that will enable them to determine the direction of their own lives, and by emphasizing that approach to arrive at the concept of valuing human security. My third point is that Japan always strives to listen actively to the voices of the parties concerned.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Japan has been able to help to bridge the information gaps that tend to occur between those stages. We have also been able to make a positive and major contribution by ensuring that we take full responsibility for our decisions and actions at every stage. Right now, members of an engineering unit of Japan’s self-defence forces are working around the clock in South Sudan. In Kenya, experts from our ground self-defence force are training members of the Kenyan, Ugandan, Tanzanian and Rwandan armed forces on the best ways to operate heavy engineering equipment so as to deal with the problems that arise when peacekeeping operations become hopelessly trapped in areas where roads and bridges have been destroyed.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“First and foremost, Japan has remained a strictly peace-loving nation during the 70 years since the end of the Second World War, and we have accumulated a successful record in our efforts to foster peace and prosperity around the world. Japan worked hard diplomatically in Cambodia and Timor-Leste, first by sending personnel to participate in peacekeeping operations there and later by providing assistance over the long term. The first of the three stages involved in peacekeeping operations is decision-making, in which we determine what is to be done and where. That is 15-29431 43/51 A/70/PV.16 29/09/2015 followed by the necessary preparations of personnel and financing and, lastly, by the process of launching physical operations on the ground.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“During the last session of the General Assembly, the assiduous efforts of dedicated individuals and various countries greatly intensified the discussion of Security Council reform. And two weeks ago, here in this very Hall, that enthusiasm was passed on to the current session as the entire Assembly applauded (see A/70/PV.1) . Emboldened by that enthusiasm and by my conviction regarding the role that Japan should play in that process, I will continue to work to achieve reform of the Security Council with the cooperation of the President and Member States. Japan hopes to become a permanent member of the Council and to make a commensurate contribution. Here I would like to emphasize three points.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Moreover, this year’s Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons failed to come up with guidelines for future nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. We believe that the United States and Russia should continue to reduce their nuclear weapon stockpiles, while we also insist that other States possessing nuclear weapons should also work to reduce their arsenals. In its determination to eliminate nuclear weapons completely, Japan is preparing a new draft resolution aimed at promoting united action on the issue by the international community that I am sure many countries will support. This year, as we celebrate the seventieth anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, a major push for reform of the Security Council has begun.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“It does not give itself up to impotent despair of the future, but neither does it avert its eyes from reality. That is how it has shaped the 70 years of its history. And I, too, feel compelled to face up squarely to reality on several issues, the first of which is North Korea. In that regard, Japan intends to work in coordination with other relevant countries in an effort to arrive at a comprehensive resolution of the outstanding issues, including those related to abductions, nuclear power and missiles. This year, the seventieth anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, was one in which we relived our grief. Regrettably, however, it seems that in some places nuclear arsenals, with no transparency, continue to grow.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“On a number of previous occasions, I have urged the international community to ensure that the twenty-first century will be an era in which women’s human rights are protected. Today, I am also pleased to be able to report that Japan has finalized its action plan on women’s participation and protection based on Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), important aspects of which include protecting women and girls from violence and providing them with basic health services. Moreover, this year, for the second consecutive year, we hosted WAW! 2015, the World Assembly for Women, holding meaningful discussions with a view to creating a society in which women can shine. I believe the United Nations is a venue where optimistic realists can come together.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Two years ago, here in the General Assembly (see A/68/PV.12), I emphasized that Japan has recently made a point of establishing itself as a proactive contributor to peace, based on the principle of international cooperation. The woman I just mentioned is one of the Japanese individuals dedicated to this and working on the front lines. I am one of Japan’s biggest champions of ensuring that women take on many of the roles that will shape our country’s future. In our external assistance efforts, too, we emphasize policies and measures aimed at improving women’s safety, health and well-being and upholding their human rights. In countries recovering from civil war, Japanese women have been making splendid contributions in support of those working to uphold the rule of law, something I am particularly proud of.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“42/51 15-29431 29/09/2015 A/70/PV.16 The Japan International Cooperation Agency was responsible for developing and implementing the training plan, and women have consistently been in charge of Japan’s staff on the ground in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. One such woman was called a “little giant” when she first arrived. Seen alongside her male police colleagues, she was indeed small in stature. yet she was dubbed a giant because she never flinched from difficulties and took the initiative to grapple with issues, making full use of the French language skills she had acquired. The national police personnel respected and trusted her.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“I would like to share with the Assembly the story of a young Japanese woman who has been giving her all through Japan’s training assistance programme for police officers. In order to break with the very root of violence and fear, it is critical to cultivate good police personnel and good police governance. In that conviction, we have been directing our efforts at training police personnel in Afghanistan and many other locations. Through the Japan International Cooperation Agency, Japan has been steadily providing such assistance to the national police force of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 2004. More than 20,000 police personnel to date, including women and a number of former armed insurgent soldiers, have received such training. Our motto has been to cultivate a police force that is friendly towards the local people.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Her notebook acquires a power of its own: the power of the mother’s wish for her child’s life not to be squandered. We have distributed maternal and child health handbooks in refugee camps in Palestine, Syria, and Jordan in the hope that a mother’s love can transform the soil that sometimes gives rise to despair and fear. We know that some women continue to treasure those hope-infused handbooks even during their exodus. I am struck by the fact that the concept of human security, which seeks to empower each individual, has produced such eloquent, albeit bitter results. The rule of law and the principle of equality before the law are values that Japan respects above all others. The extension of those principles also begins with fostering human capacity.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Everything in the photograph was for her 10-month old daughter: a clean change of socks, a hat and a single jar of baby food. But as I contemplated that photograph, my eyes were drawn to a notebook that had been wrapped carefully in plastic to protect it from getting wet. I recognized it as a handbook on maternal and child health that Japan has been distributing in refugee camps in Syria. In Japan, all pregnant women receive this handbook, in which they can keep records about their own health and that of their child. This handbook system has been in place for more than 70 years. Who among all the mothers who smile sweetly at the hand-written records of their child’s heights and weights could wish for that same child to grow up to become an apostle of fear? Each woman’s handbook is a record of her prayers for her child to grow up healthy.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“I am extremely pleased that such efforts to value each individual were thoroughly incorporated within the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (resolution 70/1) set forth by the United Nations community. Japan wishes to create an environment in which mothers of newborns are free to focus exclusively on the healthy growth of their children. In reflecting on that premise, I came across a photograph that portrayed the contents of a bag carried by a female refugee. I asked myself what people would pack in the one bag they take with them when fleeing hardship? Abessa, a 20-year-old woman who crossed the Mediterranean Sea on a rubber raft, was able to bring very little with her when she fled a Palestinian refugee camp south of Damascus.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“It is important to look squarely at the facts. Behind the present tide of refugees is a far greater number of people who are unable even to flee and become refugees. Rebuilding devastated countries and transforming them into places that allow people to resume the pursuit of happiness may seem like a roundabout way of reaching our goal, but promoting and cultivating each human being’s abilities and capacity to fight fear and want at the grass-roots level is in fact the shortest path to that end. That strong belief has guided Japan’s policy of prioritizing the promotion of education and health and, in particular, the importance of strengthening women of all ages. Our policy seeks to fully ensure human security.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“We will also provide approximately $2.5 million in humanitarian assistance to neighbour countries of the European Union that are grappling with the influx of refugees and migrants, such as the Republic of Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Each of those assistance measures is an emergency countermeasure that Japan is able to implement. At the same time, however, our steadfast principle is always to endeavour to return to the root causes of a problem and to improve the situation on the ground. In order to bring stability to the daily lives of the Iraqi people, it is vital to ensure that they have dependable water supply and sewage systems. Taking those programmes into account, Japan is preparing assistance worth approximately $750 million to help build peace and fully consolidate peace across the Middle East and Africa.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“We have worked extensively to enhance human resources, and we have given our utmost in humanitarian assistance and in the promotion of women’s rights. Now more than ever, Japan wishes to offer its wealth of experience unstintingly. Japan will further enhance its assistance for refugees and internally displaced persons from Syria and Iraq. In monetary terms, our assistance for 2015 comes to approximately 15-29431 41/51 A/70/PV.16 29/09/2015 $810 million, triple the amount we provided last year. In Lebanon, we will spend $2 million in new assistance measures. We will leverage that amount in order to give momentum to the collaboration between humanitarian and development actors.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“The United Nations, which this year commemorates the seventieth anniversary of its founding, brings together people who do not easily despair even in the face of desperate circumstances. What else can explain the Organization’s ability to withstand such adversity and to arrive at this moment? The Ebola virus has spread wildly. Extremism is running rampant. And now an immense tide of refugees is attempting to flee from horror, with their very lives at risk. We must address whatever challenges arise, under the auspices of the United Nations. Each Member State must bring its own distinctive capabilities to the struggle. Japan has a history of supporting nation-building in a wide range of places.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“As the only country ever to have suffered the devastation of atomic bombings during wartime, Japan is prepared to lead discussions in the Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to be convened next year — the seventieth anniversary of the atomic bombings. With regard to North Korea, Japan will work in coordination with relevant countries towards the comprehensive resolution of outstanding issues, including abduction and nuclear and missile issues. Japan has been among the biggest beneficiaries of the United Nations. Going forward, we will work harder than ever to bring about realization of the principles set forth by the United Nations. Japan is a nation that implements its pledges without fail. With that, I will end my discussion.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Moreover, as we pursue enhancing women’s empowerment as the leverage point, I consider the attainment of our goals to be that much nearer. Over the past 20 years Japan has sent about 9,700 people on 13 United Nations peacekeeping operations. In the 10 years since the establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission, Japan’s contributions to the Peacebuilding Fund have surpassed $40 million. In the future, we intend to cultivate still further our human resources in terms of both quantity and quality, to contribute to the area of peacebuilding.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Having learned from the determination of our predecessors, who began working to extend ODA a mere nine years after suffering total devastation in war, the Government of Japan is now in the process of establishing new guiding principles for our ODA. We intend to once more emphasize as priorities objectives such as high-quality economic growth, ensuring rule of law and realizing a peaceful and stable society. The objectives that Japan has continuously targeted through its ODA over those 60 years will not change in the slightest. There will be no change in our deeply rooted approach in which the most important thing in the fight against poverty is to cultivate a sense of ownership among the people concerned and to encourage self-help efforts. Nor will there be any changes in our efforts to fully ensure human security.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We are also very pleased that next year UN- Women will open its Tokyo office. I expect that Japan will further enhance its coordination with the United Nations through that new office. As we draw up the post-2015 development agenda, Japan will continue to be as strongly involved as it has been to date. However, I strongly urge that if we are to truly attain inclusiveness, sustainability and resilience, as put forth in that agenda, then protection and empowerment of the vulnerable, irrespective of race, gender, or age, is important. This year Japan marks the sixtieth anniversary of the start of its official development assistance (ODA).”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“I do not have the slightest doubt that the creation of a society in which women shine holds the key to changing the whole of society. Last year I pledged in my address here, before the General Assembly, that Japan would implement assistance in excess of $3 billion over three years, aimed chiefly at advancing the status of women. The amount already implemented over the past year is $1.8 billion, more than half the amount pledged. I also stated Japan respected the activities of UN-Women, which is responsible for women’s issues within the United Nations, and that we intended to become one of its leading contributors and thus a model country in that area. Over the past year, Japan increased its contributions to UN-Women fivefold, and in the future we will further increase the number of projects we support.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Japan will stand at the fore and lead the international community in eliminating sexual violence during conflicts. Therein lies the reason for Japan to reinforce its cooperation with Ms. Zainab Bangura’s Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict. Fundamental rights such as education and health must be ensured everywhere throughout the world. It is necessary for the United Nations and, indeed, the world to come together as one to take action so that girls and boys can attend school equally and that expectant mothers can receive medical care with peace of mind. Moreover, in order for women to lead lives full of pride and hope, I consider it essential to develop their ability to be economically self-reliant, above all else.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Japan has focused on advancing the status of girls and mothers in Africa, a region that receives emphasis within our foreign aid. The twentieth century had a history of profound harm to women’s honour and dignity when conflicts broke out. Around the globe, we still find abhorrent circumstances in which women are denied access to such basic services as medical care and education merely because they were born female, thereby depriving them of opportunities to become self-reliant. Japan seeks to be a country that walks alongside such women throughout the world. We intend to encourage and support, throughout the world, the self-reliance of women whose hearts have suffered grievous harm. We intend to make the twenty-first century a world without human rights violations against women.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We must foster environments in which it is possible to balance child care and nursing care on the one hand and work on the other. In addition, eliminating biases about the roles of women that still exist in society will be basic, more so than anything else. We have just held a large-scale international conference with an aim of promoting the dynamic participation of women. With an eye set on economic development and the resolution of global issues, about 100 leaders from all sectors of society from around the world sent out a message to the world of their commitment to bringing the power of women to fruition. In less than a year, the empowerment of women has become a guiding principle that has driven Japan’s policies both domestically and overseas.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“It is my wish, with the seventieth anniversary as a turning point, that countries sharing the same aims can all work together to finally resolve the long-standing issue of the reform of the United Nations in a way that reflects the realities of the twenty- first century. In that context, Japan seeks to become a permanent member of the Security Council and to take on an appropriate role that the status requires. It was on the same occasion last year that I spoke of the significance and importance of enhancing the power of women and appealed for us to create a society in which women shine (see A/68/PV.12). Japan has now begun to work towards resolving the numerous issues we face, together with private industries, in order to increase women’s participation in society as soon as possible.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Seventy years ago, the United Nations proclaimed its determination “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war” and to “practice tolerance”. The United Nations must not depart from those ideals. It is with exactly that determination that Japan aspires to join the Security Council once again as a non-permanent member next year, marking the seventieth year since the start of the United Nations. Over the 58 long years since Japan became a Member of the United Nations in 1956, as its eightieth Member, Japan has worked tirelessly for the causes of the United Nations. We believe that our efforts have been second to none.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“When that concept receives broad-based support, people become the owners of their society in the truest sense of the word. To expand that kind of society from a point to a line, and from a line to a plane, Japan has always sought foundations of peace. We have always focused our official development assistance philosophy on that approach. The banner of a proactive contribution to peace borne by the Japanese Government is a flag planted atop the natural development of conviction and self- confidence that we have acquired through many years of promoting human security, that is, working as hard as we could for the development of a society that places people front and centre. We will carry on with our work, hoping to create, in time, a fair and just society that places human beings front and centre and a democracy that values human rights.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Japan and the Japanese people will continue to do our best to offer our own willingness and capacity, knowledge and experience, in order to make that a reality. First and foremost, we will continue to assist in enhancing education, which will form the basis of economic growth for those who need it, from primary education to vocational training. Our aim, always, is to internalize the joy of work in people’s nature. We hope for people to keenly realize that the sweat brought about by their labour is an investment in the future. Expanding roads, ports and the increasingly connected power grids, together with effective governance that is fully in step with those improvements, will help to bring about an affluent and peaceful society that values human rights.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“It is perhaps more than just a coincidence that the Somalia story I wish to tell also relates to lighting. The most important thing for Hamidah Hassan — a girl 10 years of age, living in the camps for internally displaced persons in Mogadishu — was lighting to illuminate the camp’s tents at night. A lit tent acts as a deterrent to sexual violence. Over the past two years, Japan has distributed to internally displaced persons, including young girls such as Hamidah, some 2,500 small lanterns, made by Panasonic, that bank electricity generated from sunlight during the day and convert it to lamplight at night. Hamidah is now working hard, dreaming that one day she will become a doctor. We must continue to clear away anxiety and fear from people’s hearts and cull any shoots of hatred.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“A total of more than 400 administrative officials and technical experts have come to Japan to receive intensive training. One of them is Mr. Najjar Osama, a young man serving as an official with the Palestinian Energy and Natural Resources Authority. He said: “Gaza has no natural resources whatsoever. The only thing we have is people, a situation the same as Japan’s. What I learned in Japan is the spirit of never, ever giving up.” After being educated in Japan for a month, Najjar Osama brought solar-power technology back to his hometown, to be attached to the facility in greatest need of a stand-alone power system. The equipment that he and his colleagues introduced to the largest hospital in the Gaza Strip has endured the unrest and kept the lights on in the hospital’s emergency room.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Japan’s future lies in a straight extension of our history over the past 70 years. Our pledge to never wage war will be handed down and fostered by the Japanese people for generations to come. Peace will take root only when conflicts are deprived of places to reside within our hearts and our way of life. That is precisely why Japan is working to continue taking action at the grass- roots level around the world. Japan has been, is now and will continue to be a force providing momentum for proactive contributions to peace. Moreover, I wish to state and to pledge, first of all, that Japan is a nation that has worked to eliminate the war culture from people’s hearts, and it will spare no effort in continuing to do so. As early as the mid-1980s, Japan launched cooperation in Gaza to foster human resources.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Placing great importance on the stability of Ukraine, in March Japan swiftly announced economic assistance of up to $1.5 billion, which is now being implemented. We are also preparing new assistance towards reconstruction of the eastern part of Ukraine. Next year will be a momentous one for the United Nations. We will celebrate its seventieth anniversary. At the time the United Nations was founded, Japan was recovering from having been reduced to ashes. Since then, Japan has never for a moment forgotten the horrors of war. It set out on its post-war path abhorring the atrocities of a war that brought tragedy to innocent people both at home and in other nations and renewing its pledge towards peace. We have made a wholehearted commitment to shoulder United Nations responsibilities at home and abroad.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We continue to be prepared to take any other measures, including the possibility of sending more experts to Africa and sharing a potentially promising drug developed by Japan’s Toyama Chemical Company and Fujifilm Holdings Corporation, which could be effective in the post-exposure phase of Ebola. The Middle East is in a state of unrest. In particular, Japan regards the activities of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant — which extends across national borders and has unilaterally declared the establishment of a so- called state — as a serious threat to international order. What is important now is to prevent extremism from taking root, while responding swiftly to the region’s humanitarian crises. To assist in that, Japan will provide $50 million of emergency assistance right away.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Sam Kahamba Kutesa, President of the General Assembly, to establish the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response. At the fifth Tokyo International Conference on African Development, held in Japan in the past year, the Government of Japan announced that it would set aside $500 million to address health issues in Africa and launch training programmes for some 120,000 health and medical-service providers. As a response to the Ebola outbreak, we have sent highly knowledgeable and experienced Japanese experts, as members of World Health Organization missions. We have also extended a total of $5 million in financial assistance and will provide $500,000 worth of personal protective equipment for health-care workers. Furthermore, we pledge to extend additional assistance totaling $40 million in future.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Humankind faces serious, unprecedented crises. Now is the time for us to stand united beneath the flag of the United Nations to confront those crises together. Japan is resolved to continue to take on great responsibility, working hand in hand with the international community. The Government of Japan is expending its best possible efforts in the fight against the Ebola virus. The international community should come together to address that crisis, which directly affects the peace and security of Africa. In that regard, Japan, as one of its sponsors, has strongly supported the adoption of Security Council resolution 2177 (2014). Japan has also supported the initiative of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and His Excellency Mr.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)