[Title] Keynote Speech by H.E. Ms. KAMIKAWA Yoko, Foreign Minister of Japan at the Interactive Dialogues, 3rd High-Level International Conference on the International Decade for Action "Water for Sustainable Development 2018–2028" Dushanbe, Republic of Tajikistan, June 12th, 2024

Distinguished participants,

My name is KAMIKAWA Yoko, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan. I am honored to have this opportunity to deliver my keynote address today, through this video message.

First of all, I would like to thank His Excellency Mr. Emomali RAHMON, President of the Republic of Tajikistan, for his warm invitation, and to congratulate him on the successful organization of the 3rd High- Level International Conference on the International Decade for Action "Water for Sustainable Development 2018–2028".

This conference is an important occasion to follow up on the UN 2023 Water Conference held in March last year, where I co-chaired the third Interactive Dialogue with Dr. SEWILAM, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of Egypt. I would like to take this precious opportunity to reiterate the need for urgent action to tackle the water crisis.

The key words of the third Interactive Dialogue are climate, resilience, environment, biodiversity, disaster risk reduction, and source to sea. All of these challenges are important.

And now, one year on from the UN Water Conference, these challenges are becoming more and more serious. The speed at which we need to take actions must meet or exceed the speed of changes to the environment due to climate change.

Even before climate change was recognized as a threat, Japan has suffered from, and overcome countless natural disasters. Now is the time for Japan to put to best use our experience and expertise to benefit the international community. Now is the time for action.

In this respect, Japan is engaged in various activities in cooperation with a number of countries and international organizations through water action agendas, such as the Kumamoto Initiative for Water.

Japan also supports our friends who are active in various water initiatives, and we have expressed our interest in another water action agenda, AWARe, led by Egypt in cooperation with WMO.

In the implementation of such initiatives, we will prioritize LDCs and Small Island Developing States, and vulnerable groups, such as women and children, youth and the elderly, persons with disabilities, and indigenous peoples.

Distinguished participants, if we do not act now, the next generation will face irreversible environmental catastrophes.

Let us unite to follow this path. I look forward to the continued leadership of Tajikistan, who will host the UN 2028 Water Conference, and Egypt, our co-chair.

Let us work together to achieve all goals and targets for water, toward the future we want, with no one left behind.

Thank you.