Japan
Intervention on the specific needs in African countries, LDCs, LLDCs, SIDS and Middle Income Countries by Hiroshi Minami, Ambassador for Civil Society and Deputy Director-General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, at the sixth session of the OWG-SDGs
I would like to make this intervention as a national capacity.
We understand that the efforts for the current MDGs have achieved some remarkable results, but the degree of the achievement is varied from one country to another, one country group to another. African countries, LDCs, LLDCs, SIDS and Middle income Countries face their specific and respective challenges as we hear this discussion.
African countries
We believe that the economic structural reform and human resources development will be keys for the solution of the challenges. We should focus on the robust, inclusive and sustainable economic growth so that it will create jobs, especially for youth and women. Japan hosted TICAD V this year, and Japan announced its assistance package for African countries whose basic policy is to boost the growth with the use of aid, trade and investment of private sector.
LDCs
We acknowledge there is slow progress in the MDGs to our regret. As pointed out in this afternoon's discussion, we believe that ODA will continue to have an important role in this respect.
LLDCs
We recognize that transport and trade are the challenges for LLDCs. We believe that aid for trade, undertaken by OECD and WTO, will play an important role for the enabling environment for investment.
SIDS
There are many challenges for SIDS, and much has been discussed here, such as isolation, remoteness, small size, limited resources, degradation of marine environment and vulnerability to natural disasters and climate change. We believe that these challenges are urgent issues to be addressed by international society as a whole. In this sense, we are looking forward to the SIDS international conference in September next year in Samoa to consider the challenges and solutions for SIDS.
Middle Income Countries
As Dr Mohieldin described, there is a problem of the middle income trap. We believe that transformation of industrial structure, improvement of productivity and strengthened service sectors can be solutions for middle income countries.
What I have said here is nothing new, and it is a kind of repetition of what has been said. There are many unique challenges for those countries, but one size fits all approach is not appropriate. The question is how to interpret the challenges for those countries into the targets of the SDGs in a simplified way. My government is willing to be engaged in the discussion to find out the appropriate targets in this working group.
I would like to make this intervention as a national capacity.
We understand that the efforts for the current MDGs have achieved some remarkable results, but the degree of the achievement is varied from one country to another, one country group to another. African countries, LDCs, LLDCs, SIDS and Middle income Countries face their specific and respective challenges as we hear this discussion.
African countries
We believe that the economic structural reform and human resources development will be keys for the solution of the challenges. We should focus on the robust, inclusive and sustainable economic growth so that it will create jobs, especially for youth and women. Japan hosted TICAD V this year, and Japan announced its assistance package for African countries whose basic policy is to boost the growth with the use of aid, trade and investment of private sector.
LDCs
We acknowledge there is slow progress in the MDGs to our regret. As pointed out in this afternoon's discussion, we believe that ODA will continue to have an important role in this respect.
LLDCs
We recognize that transport and trade are the challenges for LLDCs. We believe that aid for trade, undertaken by OECD and WTO, will play an important role for the enabling environment for investment.
SIDS
There are many challenges for SIDS, and much has been discussed here, such as isolation, remoteness, small size, limited resources, degradation of marine environment and vulnerability to natural disasters and climate change. We believe that these challenges are urgent issues to be addressed by international society as a whole. In this sense, we are looking forward to the SIDS international conference in September next year in Samoa to consider the challenges and solutions for SIDS.
Middle Income Countries
As Dr Mohieldin described, there is a problem of the middle income trap. We believe that transformation of industrial structure, improvement of productivity and strengthened service sectors can be solutions for middle income countries.
What I have said here is nothing new, and it is a kind of repetition of what has been said. There are many unique challenges for those countries, but one size fits all approach is not appropriate. The question is how to interpret the challenges for those countries into the targets of the SDGs in a simplified way. My government is willing to be engaged in the discussion to find out the appropriate targets in this working group.
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