Prime Minister Kishida’s Attendance at the Security Council High Level Open Debate on “Upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter through effective multilateralism: maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine” (Summary)
September 20, 2023
[Provisional translation]
On September 20, commencing around 11:00 a.m. local time (around midnight, September 21, Japan time) for approximately 95 minutes, Mr. KISHIDA Fumio, Prime Minister of Japan, who was visiting New York to attend a United Nations General Assembly, participated in the Security Council High Level Open Debate on “Upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter through effective multilateralism: maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine”.
- The meeting was presided by Mr. Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Albania, which holds the presidency of the Security Council that month, and was attended by 15 Security Council members, including Japan, as well as leaders, ministers and others from the non-Council members including Mr. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine. Mr. António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres, UN Secretary-General attended as a briefer.
- Prime Minister Kishida once again strongly condemned Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and emphasized the importance to realize a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine based on the principles of the UN Charter in order to uphold the international order based on the rule of law. Also, he expressed that Japan supports President Zelenskyy’s sincere efforts to uphold the basic principles of the UN Charter in his Peace Formula.
- Prime Minister Kishida confirmed that Japan will continue to protect the dignity of people suffering from challenges caused by Russia’s aggression in the various parts of the world and will continue to extend assistance for them. Prime Minister Kishida also expressed his determination to aim for “multilateralism rooted in a spirit of solidarity.”
- Prime Minister Kishida called for a return to the unshakable principles, including the UN Charter, that UN member states have built up since the establishment of the UN, and for a world of cooperation rather than division and confrontation, and called for concrete action to strengthen the functions of the UN, including reform of the Security Council, with a view to the Future Summit and the 80th anniversary of the UN.
- Representatives from many countries expressed their condemnation and concern about Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, as well as their commitment to uphold the UN Charter in order to ensure effective multilateralism and the importance of peaceful resolution of conflicts, among other things.
