Kon-nichiwa. Good afternoon.

Minasan to kokode oaidekite totemo ureshii desu. I am so happy to be here with all of you.

We meet just days after the fourth anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake. The United Nations stands with all the affected people.

Kokuren ha nihon wo ouen shiteimasu. The United Nations supports Japan.

I came to Tohoku in 2011 after the triple disaster hit. I was really inspired by the resilient people of this region. I plan to visit the affected communities again tomorrow.

I commend the efforts of the Government to rebuild and to share its lessons with the world.

For the third time, Japan has turned an area hit by an earthquake into a place for generating seismic waves of progress around the world.

Today we made history at this Conference.

We have more high-level participants here than at any international meeting ever held on disaster risk reduction.

I am delighted to welcome such a wide range of partners. We are bringing together national leaders, mayors, businesses, researchers, farmers, parliamentarians, community leaders and other experts.

I especially appreciate the participation of children and young people. They are saying, 'Don't decide our future without us.' I welcome the Children's Charter on Disaster Risk Reduction – and the many commitments we are hearing on making schools safer.

We need these frontline defences against climate change, which is making extreme weather events into the ‘new normal.'

Right now, the people of Vanuatu are coping with the effects of Tropical Cyclone Pam. My thoughts are with them. Their struggle adds urgency to our efforts here in Sendai.

Over the last two decades, more than four out of every five disasters were related to the climate change phenomenon. The economic toll is as high as $300 billion every year.

Disaster risk reduction saves lives and protects the most vulnerable. It helps maintain political stability and business continuity.

That is a smart investment in our common future.

In 2015, we aim to achieve a new sustainable development agenda with new goals at its core; a universal, meaningful climate agreement; and the financing to turn promises into action.

Sustainability starts in Sendai.

Disaster risk reduction is the best beginning on our journey to the Addis Ababa meeting in July on financing for development, the New York Special Summit meeting at the United Nations on the sustainable development agenda in September, and, finally, the Paris meeting on climate change.

Agreement at those landmark events will put the world on course to limit climate change, end poverty and create a future where all people can live in dignity.

I sincerely hope that the leaders will come out of this Sendai meeting with an ambitious framework which will really be helping us to move [towards a] sustainable development and climate change agreement.

Thank you very much for your attention, and I am ready to answer some questions you may have.

Thank you. Arigato gozaimasu.