Distinguished members of the Regional Certification Commission,

National Certification Committee (NCC) Chairs,

Representatives of ministries of health,

Partners, temporary advisers,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Kon'nichiwa. Yōkoso!

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the thirty-first meeting of the Regional Commission for the Certification (RCC) of Poliomyelitis Eradication in the Western Pacific.

This year, we are especially delighted to greet our newest Member State, Indonesia.

Please join me in extending a warm welcome to the NCC Chair of Indonesia as they become part of our regional polio eradication family.

Today, we celebrate a remarkable milestone: 25 years since the Western Pacific Region was declared free of indigenous wild poliovirus.

That historic declaration was made at the sixth RCC meeting in Kyoto, Japan, in October 2000. My heartfelt thanks to the Government of Japan for hosting that pivotal meeting - and for hosting us again today as we mark this achievement.

Truly, we have come full circle.

This success is the result of decades of unwavering commitment by all Member States.

One shared goal united us: to eradicate poliomyelitis and protect every child from this devastating disease - giving them the chance to live healthy, productive lives.

Across every country, tens of thousands of health workers, public health experts, and volunteers worked tirelessly to deliver life-saving vaccines to every household and health centre.

Their dedication made this possible.

Our progress would not have been possible without the steadfast support of our partners and donors.

This has been a collaborative effort led by governments and powered by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative's core partners.

A special tribute to Dr Shigeru Omi, Regional Director Emeritus, who led WHO's Western Pacific Office from 1999 to 2009 and proudly declared eradication in 2000.

Today, Dr Omi continues to champion public health as Rotary's Polio Eradication Ambassador and Chair of the Japan Anti-Tuberculosis Association.

My deep appreciation also goes to the Governments of Australia, New Zealand, and Japan; the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); the European Commission; the World Bank; UNICEF; the Gates Foundation; GAVI; and Rotary International - including District 2650.

Your financial and technical contributions have been invaluable.

To our RCC members and NCC Chairs: thank you for your rigorous, independent reviews and for safeguarding our Region's polio-free status.

Friends, while we celebrate, we cannot be complacent.

Polio is entirely preventable - yet it resurfaces when vigilance falters.

We must continue to vaccinate every child, everywhere - not only against polio but against all vaccine-preventable diseases.

As the saying goes: One day, polio will be just a memory. Until then, we vaccinate.

Sustaining polio-free status demands strong leadership, resilient systems, and unwavering commitment. Congratulations to Indonesia on the recent closure of the cVDPV2 outbreak, confirmed by the third Polio Outbreak Response Assessment (OBRA-3).

In a world facing permacrisis and fraying multilateralism, your collaboration shines as proof of what is possible when we unite for a noble cause.

Wishing you a successful meeting - and congratulations to all of us, again and again.

Arigatou. Thank you.