• 
• 

[Provisional Translation]

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held the second meeting of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Promotion Headquarters at the Prime Minister’s Office.

At the meeting, guidelines for Japan’s implementation of the SDGs were approved.

Based on the discussion, the Prime Minister said,

“The guidelines for Japan’s implementation of the SDGs were approved today. Japan has established an excellent track record in sustainable economic and social development that can serve as a model for the international community.

The guidelines approved on this occasion include eight priority tasks and 140 measures covering the fields of the economy, society and the environment. Under these guidelines, we will set an example for the rest of the world and play a leading role in the international community in terms of domestic implementation and international cooperation towards achieving a sustainable world.

At the same time, the following concrete promotional policies were established in order to accelerate these efforts.

First is a policy for promoting international health. Japan is proud to have one of the world’s foremost national health insurance systems and we have made major contributions to the world in the field of international health through ODA based on the philosophy of human security.

In light of this track record, the world is looking to Japan to exercise leadership in the field of international health. In order to fulfill the expectations of developing countries and other members of the international community, we plan on providing approximately 400 million US dollars in total to international health organizations in the fields of infectious disease control, the strengthening of health systems, women’s health, and polio countermeasures.

Second is Japan’s efforts to address refugee issues. It is important to support development not only for the sake of humanitarian assistance, but also for social growth and stability, as a means of combatting violent extremism. Japan has a strong track record in development assistance, including human development that makes the most of people’s individual strengths.

Japan will further expand, both in quantity and quality, efforts to support refugees and countries accepting refugees by actively harnessing our experiences to date and our capabilities. We will be providing new financial assistance totaling 500 million US dollars.

Third is the realization of a society in which all women shine. Women are exposed to great danger during conflict and disasters, especially in developing countries. The reality is that cries for help from women are given a low priority, simply because these concerns were raised by women.

Japan will strongly promote measures for educating women, and ensuring that women are involved in the decision-making process for conflict prevention, peace-building and disaster risk reduction. As announced during the recently held World Assembly for Women (WAW!), Japan will fund initiatives valued at more than 3 billion US dollars by the year 2018, with emphasis given to respect for women’s rights, building a foundation for women to utilize their skills, and promoting women’s leadership.

In July 2017, we will report on Japan’s initiatives to the United Nations. I ask that the relevant ministers work closely together under these guidelines to ensure a united effort across the Government.”