The G20 Interfaith Forum Japan 2019 (4) Panel discussion in the first session

Following Cameron’s speech, a panel discussion was held with Cameron, Kenny, Key and Graca Machel, an advocate for women and children. She is the widow of both South African President Nelson Mandela and Mozambican President Samora Machel as well.

  Regarding refugees, Machel argued that 85 percent of refugees in the world flee to developing countries and the scale of refugee movement is growing. She dismissed an allegation that refugees increase terrorism as this stems in part from irresponsible voices on social network sites.

  Key agreed to her, because there are many different types of terrorists, noting that the March mosque shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand, was not perpetrated by refugees. He said, “Countries should maintain proper programs to accept refugees.”

   Referring to the SDG’s, Cameron said he contributed to the creation of Goal 1, which promotes just, peaceful and inclusive societies, in the process of creating the SDGs--successors of the Millennium Development Goals—as justice is essential to taking sustainable measures to tackle poverty. 

Graca Machel

WSD

(source: THE JAPAN TIMES, July9, 2019）