Mr. Hirotaka Matsuo expressed his appreciation of the opportunity to participate in this exchange of views on the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations and the 20th anniversary of the House of Representatives resolution that referred to the realization of a world federation. As the Ministry of Foreign Affairs took seriously the 2005 House of Representatives and the 2016 House of Councilors resolutions calling for contributions to building international peace, the Government was committed to contributing to regional and global peace and stability. He said multilateralism, with the United Nations at its core, was facing difficulties, and the discussion amidst these difficulties was significant. He had listened to the members` comments with great interest.

In the 80 years since the UN was founded, nearly 100 countries have achieved independence as sovereign states, grown, and established a significant presence in the Global South. The United Nations has become a diverse society, not unlike when it was founded. This year marked the 80th anniversary of the founding of the UN, and next year marks the 70th anniversary of Japan’s accession to the UN. He believed we should take advantage of this momentum to realize a UN Security Council that reflects the modern world. We also believed that it was essential to strengthen the role of the UN General Assembly, which is attended by all member states and plays an important role in shaping international public opinion. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs would continue its efforts to strengthen the functions of the UN, including reform of the Security Council, with the aim of leading the international community, which is becoming increasingly divided and confrontational, toward reconciliation and cooperation. We would also like to continue to promote multilateral diplomacy and contribute to the resolution of international issues, with the aim of forming rules to maintain and strengthen a free and open international society based on the rule of law, a free and fair-trade order, the SDGs, and a world without nuclear weapons. He hoped that the Japanese Parliamentary Committee for the World Federation would continue to support the Government in this endeavor. He then concluded his remarks by wishing the Japanese Parliamentary Committee of the World Federation continued success in its endeavors.