日: 2024年6月7日

1. The UN General Assembly has elected former Cameroon prime minister Philemon Yang as its next president. His one-year term will begin in September. In a speech on Thursday, Yang said that geopolitical tensions continue to fuel distrust among states and intensify an arms race. He added that conflicts are increasing in various regions of the world with an unbearable toll on civilians, and the “cases of Gaza and Ukraine are very painfully illustrative in this regard.” 2. The Japanese government is working to sign a new document with Ukraine that includes economic measures to support the reconstruction of the country. Government sources say arrangements are underway for Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to hold talks and sign the document on the sidelines of this year’s Group of Seven summit. The G7 summit will be held in Italy from June 13.
3. A group of countries formed to counter China’s rising influence in Asia agreed Thursday to promote investments in decarbonization and to aim for economic fairness. Ministers from the 14-country Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity signed statements setting out goals for clean and fair economies in the region. The clean economy pact targets member country investments of at least 120 billion dollars in renewable energy and power storage. The “fair economy” accord sets a goal of preventing corruption.

1. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed a strong sense of crisis following reports by a UN weather agency on Wednesday that the rate of global warming is increasing. In a speech made the same day, Guterres appealed to the international community to do more to contain global warming, calling for “an exit ramp off the highway to climate hell.” 2. The Lower House of Japan’s Diet is expected to pass a bill to revise the political funds control law on Thursday. The main ruling Liberal Democratic Party amended the bill it submitted to include demands from its coalition partner Komeito and the Japan Innovation Party. The bill mandates that lawmakers create a document to confirm the contents of their political funds reports. This is to introduce a system of “guilt by association.” 3. An expert says the Russian economy has become increasingly dependent on China since Western countries imposed sanctions on Moscow. Alexandra Prokopenko of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center says the sanctions have made China an irreplaceable partner for Russia. She adds that Russia may become subordinate to China, as the Chinese economy is much larger than Russia’s.