UNDP Japan B

Delegation from Represented by
Japan Frankfurt School of Finance & Management
Position Paper for the United Nations Development Program
I. Enhancement of South-South Cooperation

Playing an important role in international efforts to increase economic growth in developing countries and
providing means and channels to implement a great number of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the
respective countries, the delegation of Japan recognizes South-South Cooperation (SSC) as an important pan-
national collaboration providing a platform of solidary liaison between Member States. Being the first developed
country to offer substantial and sustained support for SSC, Japan emphasizes goal 2 on food security, goal 7 on
energy needs and goal 17 on partnership; recalling the progress generated from SSC as stated in the report of the
Secretary-General Promotion of South-South cooperation for development: a thirty-year perspective (A/64/504).
The delegation of Japan further emphasizes the results of the Nairobi outcome document of the High-level United
Nations conference on South-South Cooperation as adopted by the General Assembly in A/RES/64/222. Not being
a nation of the Southern Hemisphere, Japan’s main role in the SSC is providing advice and funding in order to
give the countries coordinating under the SSC the required means to reach their goals in technical, social, political,
cultural and economic fields. Thus Japan supports southern partnerships with the capacities of the Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA). JICA assists Japan’s southern partners with complementary support to
technical cooperation among developing countries. JICA further is involved in SSC organizational capacity
development by providing experts to share their experience and practical approaches to planning and managing
cooperation activities and draw lessons learned. Sharing knowledge and experience will not only foster capacity
and management, it will also pave the way for technology to transfer and take place. Japan believes that assisting
the SSC through facilitating knowledge and experience within the cooperation will help contain food insecurity
within Member States by raising awareness to agriculture production, food production in terms of population
growth and threats of malnutrition. Therefore, Japan affirms the role of the UNOSSC Enabler, a number of internal
initiatives, such as: the Global South-South Development Academy (GSSD), the Global South-South Development
Expo (GSSD Expo), and the South-South Global Assets and Technology Exchange (SS-GATE) by the provision of
funds and expertise. Japan also believes that through aiding experience and knowledge sharing, developing nations
will help each other build solid economic foundations, which in return will strengthen self-reliance. A kind of aid
that results in development projects tailored to on-the-ground realities of the recipients and that overcome the
donor-recipient dichotomy. The delegation of Japan endorses the guidelines of the Buenos Aires Plan For Action
(BAPA) and further expresses its gratitude to governments of Member States in signing the Paris Climate
Agreement COP21 and aligning the cooperation’s development with the SDGs. Additionally, Japan recommends
the creation of Measurable, Reportable and Verifiable (MRV) Frameworks in response to the Bali Action Plan
(BAP) on a national and regional level, in order to create incentives for renewable energy companies and further
enhance PPPs. Japan, with its leading role in supporting multilateral projects, will moreover reaffirms its
commitment in finding solutions for development challenges, enhancing partnerships and achieve the SDGs.
II. Empowering Youth for Development

Japan recognizes the young people of this planet as always having been a major driving force behind prosperous
change. With 1.8 billion people being considered as young, there currently are more young people in the world
than ever before. The delegation of Japan believes that this generation has the potential to change this world into
a place where future generations enjoy inclusive education, sustainable economic growth, healthy lives, gender
equality and justice for all. Despite advancements in every aspect of life, one third of young people live in
countries experiencing everyday violence, 75 million are unemployed and even more lack empowerment in other
aspects of life, posing immense challenges for the International Community. The delegation of Japan regards these
challenges as highly urgent and calls upon the international community to show support for strengthening the
commitment of young people to become agents of sustainable development. Japan acknowledges the progress that
has already been made in international institutions such as the UN’s World Programme of Action for Youth (WPAY)
and the UNDP Youth Strategy 2014-2017, which both show the broad international recognition and strong
commitment towards this issue. The delegation of Japan appreciates the efforts made by Member States,
international intuitions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to develop joint programs aiming at
empowering youth in various areas, such as the cooperation between UNDP and United Nations Industrial
Development Organization (UNIDO) to provide young people with job opportunities through industrialization.
In constructive cooperation with the UNDP, Japan has demonstrated support towards youth empowerment
especially in areas of education and training as well as the creation of work opportunities in developing countries.
The Youth Employment Generation Programme in Arab Transition Countries Jordan Component is a cooperation
between the local Japanese Embassy, the UNDP and the government of Jordan and gives young people better
opportunities on the labor market by jointly addressing coordinated project management, creation of internship
and job opportunities in private companies and youth employment generation policies on a national level. Due to
the universal nature of these projects when it comes to locations and thematic subjects, these integrative
approaches show great potential for future youth empowering projects. Therefore, the delegation of Japan
proposes the creation of a pan-national and pan-institutional program strengthening the role of the world’s youth
in development by empowering them in the areas of education and training, economic prospects, socio-cultural
positioning, political representation and proper access to health care. The baseline of such a program would be
establishing a coordinative agency under the leadership of the UNDP to actively contribute to the topic of youth
empowerment involving international organizations and related NGOs. In 2005 Japan launched the UN Decade
of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD), reinitiating the program at the 2014 "UNESCO World
Conference on ESD”, emphasizing the role of education in empowering youth. Additionally, Japan recognizes the
United Nations Security Council resolution S/RES/2250 of 2015 and believes that by giving the young people of
this world the means to care for their own subsistence and make their voices heard in society as well as politics
they can actively contribute to worldwide development and progress. Therefore, Japan calls upon Member States
to dedicate their expertise and aid to assist dialogues within conflicted areas in order to promote social cohesion
and include both women and youth in the process of decision making. Furthermore, Japan endorses the ILO's
Youth Employment Programme and considers it a part of the proposed program. Moreover, Japan recommends
Member States to pave the way for the creation of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). Japan believes that the
proposed approach will help to make projects more efficient as they can be conducted on a pan-organizational
basis. It is further open for input from CSRs and national or regional governmental bodies while still having an
independent supervision. The delegation of Japan recalls the importance of pan-agency cooperation and is
convinced that the agency proposed will contribute to youth empowerment by effectively utilizing every
organization’s individual area of expertise.
III. Ensuring Women’s and Men’s Equal Participation in Democratic Governance and Peacebuilding
The delegation of Japan recognizes that gender equality and women empowerment are important development
goals, both being listed in the SDGs as well as in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Moreover, Japan
emphasizes the growing importance of goal 16 from the SDGs; the promotion of inclusive and peaceful societies,
the provision of justice for all and the buildup of inclusive, effective and accountable institutions. While
democracy becomes tendentious within transitional states, the role of women in democratic governance and
peacebuilding seems yet vulnerable. The delegation of Japan recognizes the synergy between the role of women
and democratic governance and peacebuilding, a major pillar of economic, political, and social growth. Hence,
Japan has initiated and completed its National Action Plan (NAP) in response to the United Nations Security
Council (UNSC) resolution 1325 of 2000. In accordance with the Beijing Platform of Action (BPA) declaration
in 1995, Japan has established the Japan Women in Development Fund (JWIDF) in order to promote women
empowerment through innovative projects that generate knowledge and experience which would be used for
further development activities and development policy. Despite the impediments in implementation of the Beijing
Declaration and Platform for Action and other relevant resolutions, Japan has expressed its commitment by
consistently identifying and taking action on said challenges. Parallel to national policies, Japan vitally addresses
women empowerment on an international level, where it has ratified the Fifth Periodic Report of Parties of 2002
(CEDAW/C/JPN/5) of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Japan
believes that gender equality and women empowerment will foster democratic inclusiveness and thus, pave the
way for democratic governance and peacebuilding in all of conflict and post-conflict communities. Moreover, on
September 12th 2014, Japan endorsed the role of women, by initiating the World Assembly for Women (WAW)
initiative, inviting about 100 national and international leaders aiming to realize a “Society Where All Women Can
Shine” in Japan and in the rest of the world and emphasizes the cooperation between the private and public sectors
towards women’s active social and political participation. Additionally, Japan has committed itself to ensure the
enforcement of laws and punishment regarding sexual assaults in order to eliminate all kind of violence against
women. Japan is a major donor in financing the United Nations Team of Experts (ToE) on the Rule of Law and
Sexual Violence in Conflict. This Team of Experts provides technical assistance to governments in conflict and
post-conflict communities by strengthening their capacity. Japan supports governments, NGOs and other
community organizations with training and information in order to promote women’s equal participation to local
communities. The delegation of Japan urges Member States to comply with resolution 1889 of 2009, which
emphasizes the need to develop effective financial and institutional arrangements, reaffirming women’s
participation in peacebuilding throughout post-conflict communities. Upon response to this resolution, Japan
recommends the creation of a comprehensive policy-making think-tank, in collaboration with national
governments, where significant information and data-collection could be provided to advise peacebuilding and
national dialogues. Our delegation reminds Member States that access to justice is only attained through inclusion
of women in democratic decision-making. Thus, Japan calls upon Member States to work closely with United
Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSCA) in order to coordinate aid, achieve social
cohesion and community resilience in all vulnerable, conflicted and post-conflict states.

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Delegation from Represented by

Japan Frankfurt School of Finance & Management

Position Paper for the United Nations Development Program

I. Enhancement of South-South Cooperation

II. Empowering Youth for Development

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