December 2022 - You are accessing an archived version of our website. This website is no longer maintained or updated. The Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform has been migrated here: https://sdgs.un.org/

Japan
Voluntary National Review 2021

Video Presentation at the HLPF 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic occurred immediately after the international community had reaffirmed its commitment to accelerate its efforts to achieve the SDGs based on the declaration of “the Decade of Action”. The Pandemic has since been threatening the lives, livelihoods and dignity of people around the world, especially those in vulnerable situations. It has also greatly affected efforts to achieve the SDGs. It is indeed causing a human security crisis. Under these circumstances, the SDGs will be an important roadmap for social transformation that looks ahead to a new era and anticipates the future. Therefore, in this VNR, we look back at how Japan has been working to promote the SDGs and check the progress toward achieving the SDGs in order to overcome and “build back better” from the COVID-19 pandemic.

In order to achieve the SDGs, it is critical for all stakeholders to work together to promote their efforts. In this VNR, through reviewing Japan's domestic institutions to promote the SDGs, it was confirmed that through such frameworks as the “Japan SDGs Award” organized under the SDGs Promotion Headquarters headed by the Prime Minister, which recognizes leading companies and organizations working on the SDGs, collaboration among various stakeholders has been broadened, leading to increased awareness throughout Japan and progress on the SDGs.

In particular, with regard to local governments, those that proposed outstanding initiatives to achieve the SDGs have been selected as "SDG Future Cities" since 2018, and leading model cases have been disseminated throughout the country. In addition to “SDG Future Cities”, other initiatives such as the "Public-Private Partnership Platform for Local SDGs" and "Local SDG Finance” have created momentum to promote the SDGs and encouraged every citizen to treat the SDGs as their own concern. As a result, a movement to promote the resolution of regional issues, such as declining birthrates, aging communities, and declining populations, through the principles of the SDGs has been gaining momentum throughout the country. In 2017, when Japan submitted its last VNR, the percentage of local governments working on the SDGs was only 1%, but by 2020, it had risen to 39.7%, and the Government of Japan is working to increase it to 60% by the end of FY2024. In this connection, in this VNR, we have included several positive examples of local governments that have taken the lead to promote the SDGs as model cities in Japan, including four cities that have conducted their own Voluntary Local Reviews.

In its “SDGs Implementation Guiding Principles”, the Government of Japan has identified eight priority issues that Japan should focus on in particular. This VNR describes major efforts that have been made for each priority issue in terms of both domestic implementation and international cooperation, as well as the progress that has been made on the 17 goals through such efforts, taking into account the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the achievement of the SDGs requires the efforts of a wide range of stakeholders, this VNR was prepared not only through discussions within the government, but through discussions at the “SDGs Promotion Roundtable”, which consists of representatives from various fields, discussions with civil society and the youth generation who will lead the society in the future, and through public comments in order to incorporate the opinions of a wide range of people. In addition, in order to evaluate our progress, we have included evaluations from the private sector members of the “SDGs Promotion Roundtable”, considering that it would be desirable to include evaluations of progress from other perspectives other than the government’s.

The drafting process of the VNR provided us an opportunity to review the institutions for promoting the SDGs and major initiatives, and to consider how Japan should promote the SDGs in the future. Therefore, based on the opinions of experts and citizens, the VNR concludes with a description of how Japan will promote initiatives to achieve the SDGs henceforth.

Japan will continue to work with the international community based on the principle of human security, in order to address global health, including the achievement of universal health coverage, and realize a society where the SDGs have been achieved and "no one is left behind".

Voluntary National Review 2017
Japan’s efforts toward achieving the SDGs through PPAP, Public Private Action for Partnership

1. Fundamental Idea

Prior to the formulation of the 2030 Agenda, Japan was already implementing measures in an integrated manner to build a sustainable society through environmental, economic and social improvements. Japan has also embarked on creating an inclusive and participatory society in which every individual can achieve his or her full potential. In line with this ideal, Japan has forged ahead by reforming its relevant systems. Also, Japan has set human security as the guiding principle that lies at the foundation of its foreign assistance and has placed issues such as health, disaster risk reduction and gender equality, which are listed in the SDGs as major challenges to be addressed, at the core of its international cooperation.

Based on this experience, Japan played a leading role in the formulation of the 2030 Agenda, including the individual goals and targets.

Japan aims to become a role model for the world in the implementation of measures to achieve the SDGs and will make efforts both in Japan and in cooperation with other countries to achieve sustainable societies worldwide where no one is left behind.

2. Institutional Framework and the Implementation Guiding Principles

On May 20, 2016, the Government of Japan established a new Cabinet body called the “SDGs Promotion Headquarters”, headed by the Prime Minister and composed of all ministers. The SDGs Promotion Headquarters was established to foster close cooperation among relevant ministries and government agencies, and to lead the comprehensive and effective implementation of SDGs-related measures as a control tower.

Under the SDGs Promotion Headquarters, we have held roundtable meetings on items related to the promotion and implementation of the 2030 Agenda, attended by representatives from a wide range of stakeholders, including NGO/NPOs, academia, the private sector and international organizations. So far, roundtable meetings have been held in September and November, 2016, and we have also conducted public comments. Through these processes, the government has widely sought the opinions of citizens and has held dialogues with a range of stakeholders. Based on these discussions, at the second meeting of the SDGs Promotions Headquarters held in December 2016, we adopted the SDGs Implementation Guiding Principles, which represent Japan’s national strategy to address the major challenges for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

In the Guiding Principles, Japan established the following vision: “Become a leader toward a future where economic, social and environmental improvements are attained in an integrated, sustainable and resilient manner while leaving no one behind.” Besides the vision, the document includes five implementation principles and an approach to the follow-up and review processes. By restructuring the SDGs in light of Japan’s national context, it has identified eight priority areas among the goals and targets of the SDGs on which Japan should focus:

  1. Empowerment of All People (related SDGs: 1, 4, 5, 8, 10, 12)
  2. Achievement of Good Health and Longevity (related SDG: 3)
  3. Creating Growth Markets, Revitalization of Rural Areas, and Promoting Science Technology and Innovation (related SDGs: 2, 8, 9, 11)
  4. Sustainable and Resilient Land Use, Promoting Quality Infrastructure (related SDGs: 2, 6, 9, 11)
  5. Energy Conservation, Renewable Energy, Climate Change Countermeasures, and Sound Material-Cycle Society (related SDGs: 7, 12, 13)
  6. Conservation of Environment, including Biodiversity, Forests and the Oceans (related SDGs: 2, 3, 14, 15)
  7. Achieving Peaceful, Safe and Secure Societies (related SDG: 16)
  8. Strengthening the Means and Frameworks for the Implementation of the SDGs (related SDG: 17)

In the Annex to the Guiding Principles, 140 specific measures to be implemented both at home and abroad are listed together with indicators.

3.Stakeholder Engagement

The Government of Japan attaches great importance to implementing measures for the 2030 Agenda, monitoring progress, and conducting follow-up and review activities across agency boundaries and through public-private partnerships; in other words, through Public Private Action for Partnership (PPAP), in order to achieve the SDGs. It will do this in cooperation with a wide range of stakeholders, including local governments, NGOs/NPOs, academia, the private sector, international organizations and other entities, parliamentarians, scientists and cooperatives. It was to this end that the Government of Japan established the SDGs Promotion Roundtable Meetings, mentioned above, comprising a wide range of stakeholders. The roundtable meetings were held to draft the SDGs Implementation Guiding Principles as well as in preparation for the voluntary national review.

Also, a variety of efforts by other stakeholders, such as NPOs and NGOs, private companies, local governments, science community and parliamentarians at home and overseas, to promote the SDGs have started to spread. In order to further encourage the private sector to work on the SDGs, the SDGs Promotion Headquarters decided to create the “Japan SDGs Award,” which will be presented to leading initiatives by private companies and organizations during its meeting in June 2017.

On the other hand, public awareness of the SDGs is not yet sufficient. In order to promote SDGs-related measures as a national movement, it is critical to promote the understanding of every single Japanese person about the SDGs. To this end, under the leadership of SDGs Promotion Headquarters, Japan will work hard on raising public awareness through communication campaigns in collaboration with all the stakeholders.

Furthermore, in order to nurture in children, who will lead society in 2030 and beyond, the competencies to be the future creators of sustainable societies and leaders of world, we are promoting Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), as well as encouraging learning about SDGs in all settings, including schools, households, workplaces and local communities.
Focal point
SDGs Promotion Headquarters
Contact: sdgs.secretariat@mofa.go.jp
Partnerships & Commitments
The below is a listing of all partnership initiatives and voluntary commitments where Japan is listed as a partner in the Partnerships for SDGs online platform.
Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC)

The best opportunity to slow the rate of near-term warming globally and in sensitive regions such as the Arctic is by cutting emissions of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) – most notably methane, black carbon and some hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). Widespread reductions, which complement the need for aggressive global action on carbon dioxide, contribute significantly to the goal of limiting warming to less than two degrees. Reducing SLCPs can also advance national priorities such as protecting air quality and public health, promoting food security, enhancing energy efficiency, and allevi...[more]

Partners
111 Partners, 50 State and REIO, 16 IGO and 45 NGO partners (as of April 2016). Full list: http://ccacoalition.org/en/partners
Action Network
Sustainable Development Goals
Climate Change platform

Sustainable development of Small Island Developing StatesThe objective of this partnership is to enhance resilience to climate change and extreme weather events- This platform will serve as a repository for regional climate change information and data and will help in sound decision making.- It will help build strategic partnerships with key regional institutions promoting sharing of knowledge, lessons learnt and best practices between states and other regions as well as ensuring maximum synergies with existing initiatives.

Partners
Indian Ocean Commission, Japan International Cooperation Agency, United Nations Development Programme, WIOCC, Relevant Ministries and Departments from member states of Indian Ocean Commission and Eastern Africa, and relevant research institutions
Action Network
Sustainable Development Goals
Cooperation to reduce risk from catastrophic natural disasters

We are resolved to help build resilient societies worldwide, with sound awareness by their members of disaster reduction.(Statement made by Koichiro Gemba, Foreign minister of Japan, delivered at United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, 20 June, 2012, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. available at: Speech by Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio + 20) )

Partners
Japan
Action Network
Sustainable Development Goals
Fisheries Conservation in the Wider Caribbean Region through FAO's Western Central Atlantic Fisheries Commission (WECAFC)

The general objective of the Commission is to promote the effective conservation, management and development of the living marine resources of the area of competence of the Commission, in accordance with the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, and address common problems of fisheries management and development faced by members of the Commission. 16 of WECAFC's 35 members are considered small island developing States.

Partners
Member governments: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, France, European Community, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Japan, Korea (Rep. of), Mexico, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Spain, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, United S...[more]
Action Network
Sustainable Development Goals
Global Adaptation Network (GAN)

The overall objective of the Global Adaptation Network (GAN) is to help build climate resilience of vulnerable communities, ecosystems and economies through the mobilization of knowledge for adaptation.The GAN has three main areas of work:1. Improving the availability and accessibility of knowledge through online portals, global knowledge-sharing events, and knowledge products2. Building capacity for using knowledge for global adaptation policy-setting, planning and practices through training events, advisory services and institutional support3. Linking regional and thematic adaptation network...[more]

Partners
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Asian Development Bank (ADB) Japan United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Stockholm Environment Institute Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) The Environmental Innovators program, Keio University (Japan) Secreta...[more]
Action Network
Sustainable Development Goals
IHO Hydrography Capacity Building Programme for Coastal States

The IHO capacity building programme seeks to assess and advise on how countries can best meet their international obligations and serve their own best interests by providing appropriate hydrographic and nautical charting services. Such services directly support safety of navigation, safety of life at sea, efficient sea transportation and the wider use of the seas and oceans in a sustainable way, including the protection of the marine environment, coastal zone management, fishing, marine resource exploration and exploitation, maritime boundary delimitation, maritime defence and security, and o...[more]

Partners
International Hydrographic Organization (IGO); 87 IHO Member States (Governments); International Maritime Organization (UN); World Meteorological Organization (UN); International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (NGO)
Action Network
Sustainable Development Goals
Japan-Caribbean Climate Change Partnership

The Japan-Caribbean Climate Change Partnership (J-CCCP) is designed to strengthen the capacity of countries in the Caribbean to invest in climate change mitigation and adaptation technologies, as prioritised in their Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). These technologies will help reduce the dependence on fossil fuel imports, setting the region on a low-emission development path; as well as improve the region’s ability to respond to climate risks and opportunities in the long-run, through resilient development approaches that go beyond disa...[more]

Partners
Government of Japan, United Nations Development Programme, Governments of the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Republic of Guyana, Jamaica, Belize and the Republic of Suriname, Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre, University of West Indies, and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Action Network
Sustainable Development Goals
Lighthouses Initiative

IRENA has developed the SIDS Lighthouses Initiative to support the strategic deployment of renewable energy in SIDS, to bring clarity to policy makers regarding the required steps, and to enable targeted action. As a joint effort of SIDS and development partners, this framework for action will assist in transforming SIDS energy systems through the establishment of the enabling conditions for a renewable energy-based future, by moving away from developing projects in isolation to a holistic approach that considers all relevant elements spanning from policy and market frameworks, through technol...[more]

Partners
Antigua and Barbuda, Mauritius, Bahamas, Nauru, Barbados, Palau, Cabo Verde, Samoa, Comoros, São Tomé and Príncipe, Cook Islands, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Fiji, Seychelles, Grenada, Solomon Islands, Guyana, Tonga, Kiribati, Trinidad and Tobago, Maldives, Tuvalu, Marshall Islands, Vanuatu, Federated States of Micronesia, ENEL, New Zealand, European Union, Norway, France, SE4ALL, Germany, ...[more]
Action Network
Sustainable Development Goals
Pacific Environment Community Fund

In May of 2009, Pacific Island Forum Leaders met with the Government of Japan at the 5th Pacific Island Leaders Meeting (PALM 5) in Hokkaido, Japan. At the PALM 5 Summit, Leaders issued the Islanders Hokkaido Declaration which reaffirmed Leaders commitment to collaborate and cooperate on a wide range of issues.A significant part of the Declaration was the launch of the Pacific Environment Community (PEC) Fund, The PEC Fund is an initiative designed to promote the development and implementation of practical pacific-tailored approaches to combating the impacts of climate change. The Government o...[more]

Partners
Government of Japan, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat
Action Network
Sustainable Development Goals
Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM)

Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting is a summit-level meeting which has been held every three years since 1997. Leaders openly discuss various issues that Pacific Island Countries(PICs) are facing in order to build close cooperative relationships and forge a bond of friendship between Japan and PICs. The 7th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM7) was held in Iwaki, Fukushima, Japan, on 22 and 23 May, 2015. At this summit, under the slogan of "We are Islanders - Commitment to the Pacific from Iwaki,

Partners
Government of Japan in cooperation with Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
Action Network
Sustainable Development Goals
Sustainable Ocean Initiative (SOI)

SOI will provide a global platform to build partnerships and enhance capacity to achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets related to marine and coastal biodiversity in a holistic manner. This will contribute to the capacity development of SIDS from national to subnational level, and through thematic and regional cooperation initiatives) to sustainably manage their ocean and coastal biodiversity and benefit from the many environmental, social, and economic services provided by healthy marine ecosystems.

Partners
Since its inception, necessary financial resources for the implementation of SOI have been provided by Japan (through Japan Biodiversity Fund) and France (through French marine protected areas agency); in-kind contribution by Senegal, Republic of Korea, China through hosting the workshops/meetings; technical support provided by Australia (through Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Org...[more]
Action Network
Sustainable Development Goals
The Learning and Knowledge Development Facility (LKDF)

The Learning and Knowledge Development Facility (LKDF) is a platform that promotes industrial skills development among young people in emerging economies. Working with the private sector through Public Private Development Partnerships, the LKDF supports the establishment and upgrading of local industrial training academies to help meet the labour market’s increasing demand for skilled employees, ultimately contributing to inclusive and sustainable industrial development. The long-term success of local industrial academies that partner with the LKDF is ensured through constant monitoring of e...[more]

Partners
Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Komatsu, Festo, Scania, The Volvo Group, Aikagroup, Government of Finland, Government of Japan, Kurdistan Regional Government Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MoLSA-KRG), Ministry of National Education and Vocational Train...[more]
Sustainable Development Goals
Statements
17 Jul 2017
7 Jun 2017
19 Jul 2016
17 Mar 2016
20 Sep 2013
20 Jun 2012
11 May 2011
2 May 2011
13 May 2010
12 May 2010
10 May 2010
5 May 2010
5 May 2010
5 May 2010
3 May 2010
13 May 2009
4 May 2009
4 May 2009
12 May 2008
8 May 2008
8 May 2008
8 May 2008
7 May 2008
7 May 2008
7 May 2008
6 May 2008
5 May 2008
1 May 2007
1 May 2007
1 May 2007
11 May 2006
9 May 2006
5 May 2006
5 May 2006
3 May 2006
3 May 2006
3 May 2006
3 May 2006
2 May 2006
2 May 2006
1 May 2006
21 Apr 2005
13 Apr 2005
12 Apr 2005
11 Apr 2005
29 Apr 2004
28 Apr 2004
21 Apr 2004
2 Sep 2002
United Nations