Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda received reports from Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) at the Prime Minister's Office.

The Prime Minister said in his address, "When we experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake, Japan received assistance from over 160 countries and more than 40 international organizations. Countries poorer by far than Japan also offered us assistance. I believe that such offers may not have been made had it not been for Japan's achievements in the contribution to the international community that had been built up since the post-war period. It may be the result of the accumulated efforts taken by all the preceding volunteers.
I feel very proud of the trust Japan has won from the rest of the world, and the activities of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers up until now that have supported this from behind the scenes. The Government is also committed to continuing with its international contributions without being inward-looking.
At the same time, I expect that you will stay active as a role-model of globally competitive human resources who are in step with the times, developing from what you have accomplished through the valuable experiences you have had."