JICA President Tanaka Visits the United States
2026.02.10
JICA President Tanaka Akihiko visited New York, United States, from January 22 to 24, where he participated in the official commemorative event marking the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and held meetings with senior United Nations officials.
1. Participation in the Official Commemorative Event for the 80th Anniversary of ECOSOC
On January 23, President Tanaka attended the official commemorative event for the 80th anniversary of ECOSOC, held at United Nations Headquarters. The event featured high-level interactive discussions, focusing on sustainable development and the strengthening of multilateralism.
President Tanaka participated as a panelist and emphasized that, amid the growing severity of compound crises such as conflict, climate change, and economic instability, the importance of human security has become ever more pronounced. He highlighted JICA’s long-standing experience in promoting people-centered, field-based development cooperation, aimed at strengthening individual capacities and safeguarding human dignity. He underscored the importance of development cooperation that translates the philosophy of human security into concrete actions.
JICA President Tanaka speaking at the official commemorative event for the 80th anniversary of ECOSOC
2. Meetings with Senior United Nations Officials
(1) Meeting with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres
In his meeting with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, President Tanaka reaffirmed the importance of human security and shared views on the necessity of strengthening cooperation in support of multilateralism.
President Tanaka explained that Japan and JICA have consistently pursued development cooperation grounded in philosophy of human security and rooted in local contexts, while also outlining the recent initiatives. Secretary-General Guterres expressed his appreciation for Japan’s and JICA’s contributions to date and conveyed his expectations for continued cooperation with Japan in future United Nations initiatives. Both sides confirmed their commitment to continued collaboration toward the achievement of the SDGs.
JICA President Tanaka (left) and UN Secretary-General António Guterres (right)
(2) Meeting with UNDP Associate Administrator Haoliang Xu
In his meeting with Mr. Haoliang Xu, Associate Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), President Tanaka exchanged views on UNDP’s future strategies, including responses to compound crises and efforts to strengthen resilience, as well as on the concept of human security.
President Tanaka shared JICA’s experiences including the recent initiatives, in advancing cooperation from a human security perspective and emphasized the importance of leveraging insights gained from field-level engagement in global discussions and policy formulation. Associate Administrator Xu noted that UNDP also places strong emphasis on human security and expressed his intention to further strengthen collaboration with JICA. Both sides agreed to continue regular dialogue to enhance the effectiveness of development cooperation.
JICA President Tanaka (left) and UNDP Associate Administrator Haoliang Xu (right)
Sns share!
scroll