JICA President Akihiko Tanaka visited New York, USA, from January 22 to 24 to participate in official events commemorating the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and to meet with UN officials.
1. participation in official events to commemorate the 80th anniversary of ECOSOC
On January 23, President Tanaka participated in the official events held at UN Headquarters to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the founding of ECOSOC. The event featured a high-level interactive discussion on the theme of sustainable development and strengthening multilateralism with representatives of governments and UN agencies.
President Tanaka took the podium as a panelist and pointed out that “human security” is becoming even more important amidst the escalation of complex crises such as conflicts, climate change, and economic instability. He then introduced JICA’s experience in working to strengthen the capacity and dignity of individual people through field-based cooperation in various countries, and stressed the importance of development cooperation that puts the “human security” philosophy into practice.
JICA President Akihiko Tanaka speaks at an official event commemorating the 80th anniversary of the founding of ECOSOC
2. meeting with UN dignitaries
(1 ) Meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
In a meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, we confirmed the importance of human security and shared our recognition of the need for collaboration to support multilateralism.
President Tanaka explained the development cooperation that Japan and JICA have been developing on the ground based on the principle of human security, including their recent efforts. In response, Secretary-General Guterres commended the efforts of Japan and JICA and expressed hope for future cooperation with Japan in UN activities. Both parties confirmed that they will continue to work together to achieve the SDGs.
JICA President Akihiko Tanaka (left) and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (right)
(2) Meeting with UNDP Vice President Haoliang
In a meeting with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Vice President Haoliang, we exchanged views on UNDP’s future strategy, including responding to complex crises and strengthening resilience, and on the concept of human security.
President Tanaka introduced the cooperation that has been promoted from the perspective of human security, including recent initiatives, and stated the importance of utilizing the knowledge gained in the field in international discussions and policy formation. Vice President Haoliang expressed that UNDP also attaches great importance to human security and would like to further strengthen cooperation with JICA. They agreed to continue to enhance the effectiveness of development cooperation through regular dialogue.
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