Video Message by H.E. Mr. Peter Thomson, President of the 71st Session of the General Assembly on the occasion of the 60th Anniversary of Japan’s Membership to the United Nations
19 December 2016
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Greetings from New York,
It is my pleasure to address you as we celebrate the 60th anniversary of Japan’s membership of the United Nations.
I am sorry not to be able to join you in Tokyo to mark this milestone.
Since Japan joined the United Nations family in 1956, its contribution to the international community has been significant – covering all three pillars of the UN’s work across peace and security, human rights, and development.
Japan’s resolute commitment to the peaceful resolution of conflicts, to disarmament and non-proliferation, to gender equality and human rights, and to enhancing the efficiency of the UN system, has seen it forge a reputation as a reliable friend and partner to the United Nations system, and influential contributor to global affairs.
For the last 30 years, Japan has been the second largest contributor to the UN regular budget. And it is about to complete a highly-successful term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council – the only country in the world to have served 11 times in this role.
Japan’s commitment to championing disaster risk reduction led to the adoption last year of the Sendai Framework – an historic achievement for sustainable development, risk reduction, and resilience.
As the world’s attention now shifts to implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement on climate change, the Sendai Framework, and other recent agreements that together comprise a universal masterplan for people, planet and prosperity, we count on the continued drive, innovation, and engagement of countries like Japan.
Together, with your support, we can transform our world for ourselves, our children, our grandchildren, and all future generations.
So ‘doumo arigatou gozaimasu’, and congratulations once again to Japan.
Thank you.