The 3rd Coast Guard Global Summit Reception

Good evening, excellencies and participants. Your Excellency Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, I would like to express my deepest gratitude for your understanding of the importance of the 3rd Coast Guard Global Summit and for your attendance. I would also like to extend a warm welcome to the heads of the coast guard agencies gathered here in Tokyo from different parts of the world. I am delighted that we are able to host this summit with the largest number of attendances ever, from about one hundred countries and international organizations.

The ocean is a “common heritage of mankind “ and there is no survival nor prosperity for humanity without the existence of the ocean.　Yet, in the recent years, the ocean is facing   challenges not only due to disasters occurring from natural environment changes and global warming, but also international threats due to terrorist activities and international crimes such as illegal fishing, all of which one single nation or region cannot solve on its own. Dear participants, there are close to two hundred countries in the world but there is only one ocean. It is precisely because we are in such a critical situation that we need to cooperate under the “rule of law” in compliance with international law to ensure safety and peace of the ocean, transcending political, religious, racial, or national boundaries.

Let us, pass on the beautiful and healthy ocean, referred to as the “water planet”, that covers seventy percent of the earth, to the next generations. I hope the meetings that start from tomorrow will be fruitful in order that we may successfully fulfill this important responsibility. Thank you.