Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Receives the 2023 Global Goalkeeper Award (Summary)

1. On September 20 at 9am (local time), the Global Goalkeepers Award 2023 ceremony was held under the sponsorship of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Mr. KISHIDA Fumio, Prime Minister of Japan, received the Global Goalkeepers Award 2023 for Japan’s leadership focused on health at the G7 Hiroshima Summit and years of immense contribution to global health, among other reasons. The ceremony was attended by the Co-Chairs of the Gates Foundation, Dr. Bill Gates and Ms. Melinda Gates.
2. In his acceptance speech, Prime Minister Kishida paid tribute to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for having carried out its mission of “helping to ensure that every person has the chance to lead a healthy, productive life” ever since its foundation, with a focus on global health, based on its belief that “all lives have equal value.”
3. Prime Minister Kishida pointed out that, while this year marks the midpoint toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the achievement of the SDGs is at grave risk. He noted that against this backdrop, there is an ever greater need to accelerate efforts to achieve the SDGs.
4. Prime Minister Kishida also stated that, in particular, global health is an essential area for materializing human security. He added that, at the G7 Hiroshima Summit in May this year, discussions on global health focused on developing and strengthening global health architecture for enhancing prevention, preparedness, and response (PPR) for future health emergencies; contributing to achieving more resilient, equitable and sustainable Universal Health Coverage (UHC); and promoting health innovation.
5. Prime Minister Kishida also stated that the private sector's further contribution, including from a financial aspect, is indispensable to solving global issues including global health challenges, and that he hopes the Gates Foundation will continue to play an active role and the Government of Japan wishes to work more closely with the Gates Foundation toward achieving the SDGs by 2030.
6. Finally, Prime Minister Kishida stated that the honour was not achieved on his own, but with the contributions of the people of Japan and all the partners attending the ceremony, who have worked hand-in-hand together, and appreciated them for their support.

(Reference1)Global Goalkeepers Award
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has sponsored this award since 2017. The award ceremony, which is held every year during the United Nations General Assembly High-level Week, honors individuals (including leaders at the top level) who have made significant contributions to achieving the SDGs.