On 22 January 2026, Japanese Ambassador ENDO Kazuya signed and exchanged notes with International Organization for Migration (IOM) Chief of Mission Tristan Burnett for the project “Strengthening Maternal and Child Health Services for Internally Displaced Persons on the Remote Islands of Conflict-Affected Areas.”

The ceremony was attended by officials from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Ministry of Health, the Department of Health, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

The Government of Japan will provide a grant of ¥516 million to upgrade health facilities and provide maternal, newborn, and child health equipment compliant with Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (BEmONC) and PhilHealth standards. The project also includes training and technical assistance to help facilities achieve and maintain accreditation.

Dubbed REACH BASULTA (Resilient and Equitable Access to Care and Health in BASULTA), the initiative addresses gaps in facility readiness, workforce capacity, and community awareness, with a focus on displaced and mobile populations. It also supports culturally sensitive health promotion campaigns and PhilHealth registration drives to expand access to quality care.

Ambassador Endo said the project underscores Japan’s commitment to building a resilient and inclusive health system where mothers and children can access essential services.

The event, aimed at finding “actionable solutions” to climate-related issues, emphasized the urgent need for policy recommendations to address climate-induced displacement, IOM said in a news release.

High-level participants included representatives from the COP29 Presidency, IOM, Italy, Egypt, the Green Climate Fund, the Asian Development Bank, the European Investment Bank, the World Bank Group, and the UN Department for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs.

With climate change driving displacement and migration worldwide, the roundtable focused on key issues at the intersection of climate and peace, such as water scarcity, food insecurity, and land degradation. The discussions aimed to catalyze practical solutions and inform COP29 negotiations on these critical topics.

“The convergence of climate change and conflict is one of the most pressing challenges of our time, with devastating consequences for some of the most vulnerable people on our planet,” said IOM Director General Amy Pope. “We need to act now to address the root causes of climate-induced displacement and build resilience in affected communities.”

Ambassador Elshad Iskandarov, Senior Adviser to the COP29 Presidency said the forthcoming COP29 Peace, Relief, and Recovery Day in Baku is expected to deliver “concrete outcomes” that will scale up support for countries facing the dual pressures of climate extremes and conflict.

Iskandarov stressed the importance of international collaboration. “The high-level roundtable is a crucial platform for governments, UN agencies, and stakeholders to develop tangible solutions to the complex challenges posed by the intersection of climate, peace, and human mobility,” he said.

The roundtable was expected to yield concrete policy recommendations to inform COP29 discussions and support the launch of the Centre of Excellence on Climate Action for Peace. This new initiative will serve as a hub for knowledge exchange and collaboration, focusing on addressing climate-induced displacement and related challenges such as water scarcity and food insecurity.

The 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11-22, 2024, and will focus on accelerating climate action in line with the Paris Agreement commitments.