1. “Open Reconstruction” in the Aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake

2. The MDGs Follow-up Meeting

3. The 20th Japan-EU Summit

4. G8 Deauville Summit

5. 2011 OECD Ministerial Council Meeting

6. The Fourth Japan-China-ROK Trilateral Summit Meeting

7. The Third TICAD Ministerial Follow-Up Meeting

8. The Second Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation

2. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Follow-up Meeting Sets Out a Mid- to Long-term Vision towards the Achievement of the MDGs

Pictures: ©Cabinet Public Relations Office

On June 2-3, Japan co-hosted the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Follow-up Meeting in Tokyo, together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Bank, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The meeting was attended by over 100 representatives of countries, international organizations, and civil society from around the world, including ministers from 24 countries and heads of seven international organizations. Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto attended the opening ceremony to deliver the welcome remarks. State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Yutaka Banno chaired plenary meetings. During the two-day meeting, lively discussions took place among the participants on genuinely effective approaches for the international community to achieve the MDGs. Japan introduced the following development assistance models to the specialized international discussions: the EMBRACE model for development in the area of maternal, newborn and child health and the School-for-All model for development in the area of basic education, which were introduced at the High Level Plenary Meeting of the UN General Assembly on the MDGs.

Japan reaffirmed its resolve to faithfully implement its international commitments to achieve the MDGs, not least among them the “Kan Commitment.” Japan is determined to continue to lead the international discussions on global challenges, including the MDGs, in cooperation with relevant countries and organizations based on the concepts of human security and equity that Japan advocates.

The participants highly commended Japan’s unwavering commitment to international cooperation and hosting this meeting at this challenging time, shortly after the Great East Japan Earthquake. The meeting also provided an opportunity to begin discussion on addressing global challenges beyond 2015, the deadline for the MDGs. All these discussions culminated in the Chair’s Statement, representing a meaningful contribution to the achievement of the MDGs as well as to continued efforts beyond 2015.