Opening speech by Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio at the Tokyo Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit 2021

Excellencies, Distinguished guests, dear colleagues and friends,

I would like to extend a warm welcome to all of you to this Tokyo Nutrition for Growth Summit 2021 today. I am honored that Japan hosts this Summit with your participation from all over the world.

The world has been facing a complex issue of undernutrition and overnutrition. More than 140 million children suffer from stunt, and undernutrition is considered as an underlying cause of nearly half of deaths of children under five years old.

At the same time, obesity is at record levels not only in high income countries, but also in low-income countries. Around 2 billion people in the world suffer from diet-related diseases including diabetes mellitus.

This “double burden of malnutrition” has become a common global challenge.
Moreover, the COVID19 has casted a significant impact on nutrition. The pandemic will likely cause 13.6 million more children to suffer from wasting, which is severe nutritional deficiency.

Japan was also racked with malnutrition in the wake of World War II. Japan, however, has implemented nutritional policies based on scientific evidence, such as nutrition surveys, dietitian systems, school meals, and nutritional guidance. We have improved
nutritional status of every citizen, and thus achieved a healthy and long-lived society.

Excellencies, Distinguished guests, dear colleagues and friends,

Let me recall the Goal of the SDGs “End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture” by 2030. Now is the time for us to take action.
I would like to announce that Japan will provide nutrition-related assistance to the world, which will amount to over 300 billion yen, equivalent to around 2.8 billion U.S. dollars, over the next three years. We will also share with the world our knowledge learned from our own experiences. Under the principle of human security, we will contribute to the achievement of Universal Health Coverage and the establishment of sustainable food systems supported by science and technology among others.

"Nutrition makes people healthy and happy.” These are the words from Dr. Nakamura Teiji, president of the Japan Dietetic Association. Japan will disseminate this message to the world.

Japan is also determined to further improve the nutritional status of its people by promoting nutritional and environment-friendly dietary life, balanced diets, and health and productivity management, while also taking advantage of innovation, digitalization, and science and technology.

We need to bring together efforts of all stakeholders such as governments, international organizations, businesses, civil society and academia. I highly look forward to announcement of ambitious commitments for both financing and policy from all relevant stakeholders at the Tokyo Summit.

When tackling nutrition challenge, no one should be left behind. Japan will do its utmost to tackle nutrition challenges and contribute to the future of humankind.

To that end, overcoming COVID-19 pandemic is a pressing issue. Japan has announced financial contribution to the COVAX Facility that amounts to 1 billion US dollars. Also following the emergence of a new variant, omicron, Japan will donate approximately 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Africa given its urgent needs, upon coordination with international organizations and relevant partners.

Now is the time to bring together all the wisdom and determination of everyone in the world and to take a giant step toward improving nutrition from here Tokyo.

Thank you.