21 June 2019: Japan has presented its ‘Expanded SDGs Action Plan 2019’ as part of its Group of 20 (G20) presidency. The Plan addresses health, education, women’s empowerment, energy, quality infrastructure, disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change, and marine plastic debris.

Leading a meeting of Japan’s SDGs Promotion Headquarters, which is composed of the Prime Minister and all ministers, on 21 June 2019, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Japan has decided on three initiatives as the country’s detailed contributions to the SDGs:

• Related to SDGs 11 (sustainable cities and communities) and SDG 13 (climate action), Japan will support Phase 2 of the Sendai Cooperation Initiative for DRR, extending support to at least five million people, in order to contribute to making the world more resilient and provide citizens around the world with peace of mind despite intensification of disasters;
• Related to SDG 3 (good health and well-being), Japan will provide assistance to protect humans from infectious diseases, and will contribute to child vaccination; and
• Related to SDG 4 (quality education), Japan will support access to quality education for children and young people in developing countries, including by promoting innovation, as part of its strategy to extend educational support to nine million people over three years.

In addition, Abe said Japan will advance initiatives on women’s empowerment (SDG 5), quality infrastructure (SDG 9), climate change (SDG 13) and marine plastic litter (SDG 14).

Abe said Japan will promote these initiatives at the G20 Osaka Summit, convening from 28-29 June 2019, and the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7). Japan is then expected to present the G20 Osaka Summit’s outcome on promoting the SDGs at the SDG Summit in September 2019.

During the G20 Ministerial Meeting on Energy Transitions and Global Environment for Sustainable Growth on 16 June 2019, in Karuizawa Town, Nagano Prefecture, Japan, the Ministers adopted the ‘G20 Implementation Framework for Actions on Marine Plastic Litter,’ committing to promote a comprehensive life-cycle approach to “urgently and effectively present and reduce plastic litter discharge to the oceans,” particularly from land-based sources. Abe had identified reducing marine plastic waste as a key priority for Japan’s G20 Presidency. [Japan G20 Presidency Website] [Prime Minister Statement on Expanded SDGs Action Plan] [Japan’s Efforts for Promoting the SDGs]