EVENTS
06.27.2023
[4th in Series] Scene Report from the G7 Health Ministers’ Meeting in Nagasaki: JCS × G7 × Sustainable Conventions®
JCS was responsible for running the 2-day G7 Health Ministers’ Meeting in Nagasaki, which occurred on Saturday, May 13 and Sunday, May 14. The G7 Health Ministers’ Meeting is held in association with the G7 Summit and is a forum for ministerial-level dialog on various global health issues. This was the first international conference hosted by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare since COVID-19 was reclassified to Class V on May 8, according to the Act on the Prevention of Infectious Diseases and Medical Care for Patients with Infectious Diseases. Nagasaki has a long history as an international port city and is believed to have been the entry point for Western medicine to Japan. The discussions at the meeting reflected the aim of working together for a healthier future.
JCS proposed sustainability initiatives from the planning stage of the G7 Health Ministers’ Meeting, just as it did for the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Karuizawa, Nagano (Sunday, April 16–Tuesday, April 18); the G7 Digital and Tech Ministers’ Meeting in Takasaki, Gunma (Saturday, April 29 and Sunday, April 30); and the Press Conference by Prime Minister as Chair of the G7 Hiroshima Summit Meeting, presidential press conferences by the leaders of participating countries, and the International Media Center (Friday, May 19–Sunday, May 21). Our BSI’s Associate Consultant* performed on-site assessments of sustainability initiatives at the meeting based on JCS' own Sustainable Conventions® guidelines. We present the latest from the field and our efforts on sustainability at the meeting.
*The certification body BSI Group Japan K.K. selected JCS as a member of BSI’s Associate Consultant Programme based on certain conditions. We were selected for our wealth of experience and expertise in event sustainability.
Use of an adjacent hotel for lower emissions and better omotenashi (hospitality)
All ministers attending the meeting were accommodated at the Hilton Nagasaki adjacent to the meeting venue, Dejima Messe Nagasaki. This minimized car travel and reduced emissions. Inside, the venue was decorated to exude a uniquely Nagasaki atmosphere: wall hangings inspired by stained glass cathedrals added color to the spacious meeting room, and local cultural promotion associations pitched in with Nagasaki-produced floral art and the giant dragon puppet of Jaodori (Dragon Dance) placed at the entrance of the exhibition hall.
International Health Expo
An International Health Expo was held and participated in by 23 companies, international organizations, various groups, and Nagasaki University. On Saturday, May 13, Health Minister Katsunobu Kato and his international counterparts took an evening tour of the booths.
At the Nagasaki University booth, international students provided information on three distinctive affiliated research institutes: the Institute of Tropical Medicine, the National Research Center for the Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases, and the Atomic Bomb Disease Institute at Nagasaki University. Moving the booths into the exhibition area improved the efficiency of the meeting schedule, including safety aspects.
Nagasaki, the first-time host of a ministerial meeting, offers delights and prays for lasting world peace
This was the first ministerial-level meeting hosted by Nagasaki Prefecture. Delegates were treated to local sake and culinary delights, making lavish use of local ingredients while considering halal and vegetarian options.
On the opening day, members of a local girls’ high school Jaodori team presented the powerful Dragon Dance, a traditional performing art of Nagasaki, at the reception hosted by Health Minister Kato. Nagasaki products and traditional crafts were displayed at the exhibition booths. Such cultural promotion and community revitalization will help to pass on the traditional performing arts and craftsmanship of Nagasaki to future generations.
On the final day, the ministers visited Nagasaki Peace Park located in the city. For the first time in history, the G7 ministers laid flowers before the Peace Statue and offered a silent prayer.
In August 2012, JCS became the first company in Japan to be ISO 20121 certified (Event Sustainability Certification). As a leader in the convention industry, JCS is committed to offering Sustainable Conventions®*, which consider environmental, social, and economic sustainability to add value to events and help create a sustainable society.
*Sustainable Conventions: trademark registered by Japan Convention Services, Inc.
