Japan
Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-17)
Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting
Statement by the Delegation of Japan
SIDS (Monday, 23 February 2009, 15:00-18:00 @ CR 4)
Thank you M?e. Chairperson,
Let me stress at the outset how much we are pleased to see, on the agenda of this yearfs
CSD, so many issues related to the climate change adaptation. This is very timely as the
member countries of the UN and of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change get ready to negotiate the future framework toward Cop 15 in Copenhagen in
December.
The Government of Japan has long been advocating in various international forums that the
adaptation is equally important as the mitigation, as the most vulnerable countries and the
human security situation therein are already being affected by the negative impacts of
climate change.
It is urgently needed, in particular for the Least Developed Countries and small island
countries, to build up medium- to long-term resilience of society to climate change, by
taking short-term measures to respond to climate disasters as well as by incorporating
measures to address climate change into their development strategies and programs.
In this context, agriculture, rural development, land management, drought, desertification
are the key issues to be addressed, and the SIDS and Africa are the two groups of
countries that merit special attention.
With regard to the SIDS, given increased risks and possible security implications due to
climate change, Japan shares the sense of urgency and increased needs for international
support to the efforts for adaptation. We fully share the view pointed out in the SG report on
the necessity to strengthen human resource and institutional capacity for integrated rural
development and sustainable development of natural resources.
At the same time, I would like to stress the importance of taking short-term measures to
respond to climate disasters as I explained earlier. For example, Japan provided grant aid
to construct seawalls around Mare Island in Maldives, 6 kilometers of length by 2002, which
protected the island from the 3 meters high waves caused by the Indian Ocean Tsunami in
December 2004.
Japan extended grant aid and technical support to the Palau International Coral Reef
Center which serves as the focal point for the global coral reef monitoring network and
conservation in Micronesia. Capacity building through the centerfs activity would serve not
only biodiversity objectives but also climate change adaptation. Japan has also been
extending assistance to the Pacific Islands in the areas of waste management and
infectious disease through facilities such as the New Pharmaceutical Services Center in
Fiji.
Being itself a chain of islands in the Pacific, Japan has hosted the Pacific Islands Leaders
Meeting (PALM) every three years since 1997. This year, on May 22 and 23, 2009, PALM 5
will be held in Hokkaido with the participation of Pacific Island Forum (PIF) countries. The
issue of sustainable development is expected to be one of the main topics of discussion. At
PALM 4, Japan pledged to provide 45 million yen worth of aid, mostly in grants in three
years and we are happy to state that the target has almost been met, and is to be followed
up at PALM 5.
Finally, the Government of Japan is pleased to see most of the SIDS join the gCool Earth
Partnershiph with Japan, on the basis of respective bilateral policy consultations on climate
change issues. As of January this year, 72 countries including 15 SIDS have joined or taken
steps towards joining the Cool Earth Partnership. Japan is looking forward to cooperating
with these partner countries to address climate change, and in particular the immediate
need for adaptation.
Thank you Mme. Chairperson
Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting
Statement by the Delegation of Japan
SIDS (Monday, 23 February 2009, 15:00-18:00 @ CR 4)
Thank you M?e. Chairperson,
Let me stress at the outset how much we are pleased to see, on the agenda of this yearfs
CSD, so many issues related to the climate change adaptation. This is very timely as the
member countries of the UN and of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change get ready to negotiate the future framework toward Cop 15 in Copenhagen in
December.
The Government of Japan has long been advocating in various international forums that the
adaptation is equally important as the mitigation, as the most vulnerable countries and the
human security situation therein are already being affected by the negative impacts of
climate change.
It is urgently needed, in particular for the Least Developed Countries and small island
countries, to build up medium- to long-term resilience of society to climate change, by
taking short-term measures to respond to climate disasters as well as by incorporating
measures to address climate change into their development strategies and programs.
In this context, agriculture, rural development, land management, drought, desertification
are the key issues to be addressed, and the SIDS and Africa are the two groups of
countries that merit special attention.
With regard to the SIDS, given increased risks and possible security implications due to
climate change, Japan shares the sense of urgency and increased needs for international
support to the efforts for adaptation. We fully share the view pointed out in the SG report on
the necessity to strengthen human resource and institutional capacity for integrated rural
development and sustainable development of natural resources.
At the same time, I would like to stress the importance of taking short-term measures to
respond to climate disasters as I explained earlier. For example, Japan provided grant aid
to construct seawalls around Mare Island in Maldives, 6 kilometers of length by 2002, which
protected the island from the 3 meters high waves caused by the Indian Ocean Tsunami in
December 2004.
Japan extended grant aid and technical support to the Palau International Coral Reef
Center which serves as the focal point for the global coral reef monitoring network and
conservation in Micronesia. Capacity building through the centerfs activity would serve not
only biodiversity objectives but also climate change adaptation. Japan has also been
extending assistance to the Pacific Islands in the areas of waste management and
infectious disease through facilities such as the New Pharmaceutical Services Center in
Fiji.
Being itself a chain of islands in the Pacific, Japan has hosted the Pacific Islands Leaders
Meeting (PALM) every three years since 1997. This year, on May 22 and 23, 2009, PALM 5
will be held in Hokkaido with the participation of Pacific Island Forum (PIF) countries. The
issue of sustainable development is expected to be one of the main topics of discussion. At
PALM 4, Japan pledged to provide 45 million yen worth of aid, mostly in grants in three
years and we are happy to state that the target has almost been met, and is to be followed
up at PALM 5.
Finally, the Government of Japan is pleased to see most of the SIDS join the gCool Earth
Partnershiph with Japan, on the basis of respective bilateral policy consultations on climate
change issues. As of January this year, 72 countries including 15 SIDS have joined or taken
steps towards joining the Cool Earth Partnership. Japan is looking forward to cooperating
with these partner countries to address climate change, and in particular the immediate
need for adaptation.
Thank you Mme. Chairperson
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