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In his keynote speech to participants at the "Building a New Innovation Ecosystem for Antimicrobial Research & Development" - a two-day conference in Tokyo focused on mobilising international partnerships for antimicrobial innovation - Mr Yasuhisa Shiozaki, former Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan, called for an international coalition to renew and advance discovery and development by bringing together the complementary capabilities of different countries and sectors.

“Building a New Innovation Ecosystem for Antimicrobial Research & Development" was co-hosted by the Howard Dalton Centre, University of Warwick, UK, (a LEAD coalition member) and the AMR Clinical Reference Centre, Japan Institute for Health Security (JIHS). The conference on 4-5 March 2026 was sponsored by the Howard Dalton Centre and the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation.

Addressing experts from countries in Asia, Africa and Europe, including Japan and the UK, Mr Shiozaki stated that whilst the fragmentation of global governance, the limitations of multilateralism and the heightening of geopolitical tensions complicate cooperation, bacteria do not wait for institutional reform or consensus building. Whilst clear evidence of the threat of AMR and the technical and industrial feasibility can help, evidence alone is not enough. Mr Shiozaki pushed against the absence of political will and called for a renewal of credible and sustained political commitment.

You can read Mr Shiozaki's speech in full hereLink opens in a new window.