Speech by Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura

“Global Water Governance – Improving Access to Safe Water and Sanitation –”

at the Water and Sanitation Symposium,

“The International Year of Sanitation – A Platform for Action in Africa and Asia ”

United Nations University , Tokyo

Embassy of Japan

February 25, 2008

On Friday, 22 February, Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura attended the Water Sanitation Symposium at United Nations University, Tokyo and delivered a speech on the significance of water issues, the past efforts of the international community and what needs to be done concerning the issues of water and sanitation.

In his speech, Minister Koumura emphasized the significance of water issues by pointing three basic aspects of water: it is the basis of life, it is a resource that constantly cycles in nature but is unevenly distributed, and water issues are correlated to various other issues. He also introduced the past efforts of the international communities, which include United Nations Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation, the G8, the World Water Forum and the First Asia-Pacific Water Summit.

In order to analyze what is lacking in addressing water and sanitation issues, the Minister mentioned Japan ’s experiences. Japan has traditionally accumulated considerable expertise and developed technologies that were useful in the field of water and sanitation. Based on its technologies and know-how, Japan has been contributing to the improvement of water and sanitation situation in developing countries. Japan has been the world’s largest donor in the water and sanitation sector since the 1990’s.

While reminding of Prime Minister’s speech at Davos stating that “health, water, and education” would be a set of the key areas to be raised at the G8 Hokkaido Toyako summit, Minister Koumura called upon international community to:

(1) pursue sustainable use of water resources through the application of cyclic water resources management,

(2) share Japan ’s advanced- technologies and know-how on water with the people in the world,

(3) improve access to safe drinking water and dignified sanitation facilities as well as improved sanitation and hygiene practices, in order to realize human security,

(4) strengthen global responses to water related issues, and

(5) promote “participatory approach” and facilitate cooperation between central and local governments as well as public- private partnerships locally and globally.

The Minister affirmed that, as Japan is hosting TICAD IV and the chair the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit, Japan would be playing a leading role in the International community’s discussion concerning water and sanitation.

The transcript of the entire speech is available at:

http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/environment/speech0802.html

[Related links]

* Speech by Prime Minister Fukuda (Special Address on the Occasion of the Annual Meetings of the World Economic Forum)

http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/economy/summit/2008/doc/080126_davos.html

* G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit website

http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/economy/summit/2008/index.html

* The Forth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) website

http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/africa/ticad/index.html