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Statement by H.E. Mr. Motohide Yoshikawa
Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations
At the 8th Session of the Conference of States Parties
To the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

New York
9 June 2015

Mr. President,

Let me begin by congratulating you, Ambassador Oh Joon, on assuming the Presidency of this important Conference. I want to assure you of my delegation's full support.

Negotiations on the Post-2015 Development Agenda are now underway. Japan strongly supports the idea that the Post-2015 Development Agenda should stand upon the human centered approach of "leave no one behind," which we believe leads to the concept of human security. This inclusive approach is crucial for sustainable development. At the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in Sendai this March, Japan emphasized the importance of such a human centered approach. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan expressed his intention to work on disaster risk reduction by paying attention to persons with disabilities with their active participation. Also at the Sendai Conference, it was agreed that persons with disabilities are important stakeholders in the field of disaster risk reduction.

Mr. President,

We welcome the theme chosen by you, namely; "Mainstreaming the rights of persons with disabilities in the post-2015 development agenda." We are also pleased to find references to persons with disabilities throughout the report of the Open Working Group on the Sustainable Development Goals, which was agreed upon in July last year. The zero draft of the outcome document for the UN summit with the purpose of adopting the post-2015 development agenda was recently circulated among Member States. It also includes references to persons with disabilities. We believe it is important to keep these references in the final outcome document. In order to realize the mainstreaming of persons with disabilities in the field of development, it is essential that persons with disabilities are themselves empowered to become independent and autonomous members of society. They should also participate as contributing agents in governance at all levels including local, state and international. This view resonates deeply with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Mr. President,

Allow me to share with you one example of participation in policy planning by persons with disabilities, which is crucial for realizing the mainstreaming of persons with disabilities. Today, Professor Jun Ishikawa, who is blind, joins us as a member of my delegation. He is Chairperson of the Commission on Policy for Persons with Disabilities, which is Japan's monitoring mechanism in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Around half of the members of the Japanese Commission are themselves persons with disabilities or have family members with disabilities.

Mr. President,

The call for a realization of an inclusive society in which persons with disabilities can participate has been increasing in recent years. In response, my delegation is co-sponsoring various side events this week with the Nippon Foundation, aiming at sharing and exchanging experiences and lessons learned with the states parties and civil society.

Mr. President,

The importance of international cooperation will continue beyond the adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda. In this connection, I would like to emphasize that persons with disabilities are not merely subjects to be protected. Here, I am delighted to introduce an example of one of our international cooperation projects. Japan implemented a development project in Colombia for survivors of land mines with disabilities, which included dispatching Japanese experts with disabilities and providing training for Colombian experts. This project in turn served as the preparation for a compilation of a rehabilitation manual. As part of the same project, persons with disabilities themselves offered seminars on such issues as social reintegration and the rights of persons with disabilities. Such active participation of persons with disabilities like this Colombian case is crucial for the realization of an inclusive society at the local level.

Mr. President,

In conclusion, I would like to reaffirm that Japan will continue to make steady progress through accumulative efforts. I also encourage the states parties and civil society to increase their own efforts. I am convinced that an inclusive society, in which nobody is left behind at any level, including the local, state and international levels, will be realized through human centered approaches, intensified by all stakeholders.

I thank you, Mr. President.