Japan

It is my great honour to stand here as the new Japanese Prime Minister — brand new, really, as I was designated by the National Diet yesterday. First, I would like to congratulate His Excellency Mr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann on his assumption of the presidency of the General Assembly. I extend my heartfelt appreciation to His Excellency Mr. Srgjan Kerim, former President of the General Assembly, for his devoted efforts during his tenure. I wish also to express my profound respect for the tireless leadership demonstrated by His Excellency Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in the management of the United Nations. Being back in New York, I am reminded of an old saying about bankers. It seems that there are only two types of bankers in the world: bankers with short memories and bankers with no memories. In finance, market crazes and panics cling together in much the same way that shadows follow objects. Crazes invariably develop over time, which then give rise to panic. It was 10 years ago, in September indeed, that the world experienced a nightmare in which liquidity suddenly dried up. For more than the last quarter century, it seems almost as if crazes and panics have performed a never-ending musical rondo every few years, with a large number of countries and markets, naturally including Tokyo, as their stage. Tokyo stayed relatively clear-headed during the most recent frenzy. However, that said, it could be argued that that was due to little more than the unusually long time we had suffered when our hangover morphed into a debt overhang as a result of the previous craze of the 1980s and 1990s. That rondo continues without end, and so certainly humankind will once again hear that very same melody in the not-too-distant future. We simply must advance inch by inch each time and resolve to become more prudent. Vociferous arguments on the international financial architecture are about to begin once again. Japan is eager to contribute its experience and its knowledge. In Japan, May is the month for enjoying new green growth, and 7 July is the day on which both children and adults tie strips of paper bearing handwritten wishes to bamboo branches hung from the eaves and look to the night sky as they pray for their dreams to come true. This year in May, Japan held the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development, also known as TICAD IV, bringing together some 3,000 participants in the port city of Yokohama. Representatives of 51 nations from Africa gathered, including 41 at the Head of State and Government level. Enthusiastically advocating action “Towards a Vibrant Africa”, that Conference called for support to accelerate economic growth, to pursue the Millennium Development Goals in a sustainable manner and to foster health, water, sanitation and education in Africa on the basis of human security, a concept that Japan has carefully nurtured. Three thousand people renewed their determination to achieve those goals. The vibrancy of Japan’s fresh green leaves certainly touched the heart of each participant. Then, on 7 July, the day on which we pray for the realization of our dreams for the future, the Government of Japan moved the stage to Lake Toyako on our northern island of Hokkaido, opening the G-8 Summit and a series of outreach meetings. Again, Japan placed issues regarding development among the main themes, and we invited a large number of African participants. That was to ensure that the momentum generated by TICAD IV would be firmly maintained. By making climate change the theme of another summit, we were able to agree to strive to adopt a global long-term target of reducing emissions and to seek to create, within the United Nations, an effective framework, in which all major economies would participate in a responsible way. That outcome of the Toyako summit should be regarded as no small matter. We aim to realize those goals by no later than the end of 2009. I believe that we all associate efforts to address climate change with the name of Japan’s ancient capital for 1,000 years, Kyoto. Japan has always felt some pride on that score. Japan leads the globe in requiring the least amount of energy to produce one unit of gross domestic product. Our technological creativity has helped to make that possible. We are eager for the world to make much greater use of it. The 27 08-51851 sectoral approach also offers a channel through which Japan aims to contribute to many other countries. Such was the G-8 achievement just over two months ago with Japan in the Chair. We are now witnessing irregularities in the global economy. It is my wish, and indeed, my belief, that the pledges of May and the dreams of July will be impervious to the strong and fast winds that now buffet them. There is an important precondition for both making a vibrant Africa even more vibrant and ending global environmental degradation through the efforts of all nations, namely, the stability of the global economy. That being the case, the task ahead for Japan, as I see it, is already quite clear: it must first invigorate its own economy. In view of the size of the Japanese economy, the second largest in the world, that would certainly be the most immediately effective contribution that Japan can make. I will work determinedly to that end. Such is my pledge to the President and members of this Assembly. I should now like to change topic and recount a small event that took place this past summer. It happened in a small town on the outskirts of Tokyo. Nine high-school students from abroad arrived there at the end of August, setting foot in Japan for their first time. There was nothing unusual about those very typical-looking high-school student visitors, grimacing at the unfamiliar food placed before them. However, there was one aspect in which those young men and women stood apart from participants in conventional invitation programmes. Those high-school students, four Palestinians and five Israelis, had all lost at least one relative as a result of terrorism or another aspect of the severe situation in the Middle East. I have just described one of the ongoing efforts by Japanese civil society to promote reconciliation. Those high-school students may have no chance to interact with each other when they are back home, but for the several days that they are in a distant country, travelling here and there across the beautiful, verdant land of Japan in pairs comprising Israelis and Palestinians, something changes inside them. Those young people come to understand that religion and ethnicity make no difference when it comes to the sorrow felt at losing a parent, and they often shed tears upon coming to that realization. Through those tears of understanding they will come to see ties between their futures. For comprehensive peace in the Middle East, what is necessary is the mental groundwork that will make such peace possible. By investing in the young minds of high-school students, Japanese civil society is working to foster that groundwork. As that example suggests, there is no doubt in my mind that there are certain types of diplomacy that Japan is uniquely able to undertake. If Israeli drip irrigation technology were to be introduced in the West Bank of the Jordan River, Palestinian youth would be able to devote themselves to the production of vegetables. However, the wall of distrust that separates the two sides will not allow that in the immediate future. Here, Japan wishes to act as a catalyst, serving as a mediator between the two sides. Japan is willing to bring its own technologies that maximize the potential of drip irrigation. In time, as a result of irrigation, the land of the West Bank will become fertile. The agricultural products grown there will be processed by Palestinians and transported through Jordan to be laid out fresh in stores in consumer regions around the Gulf. The Government of Japan aims to bring about such a future through its Corridor for Peace and Prosperity initiative. Here, Japan continues to provide its technologies and funding, but most of all, it aims to be a mediator, fostering trust. Needless to say, trust is the scarcest resource of all in the Middle East. The Government of Japan is currently preparing to submit a draft resolution on the total elimination of nuclear weapons. I believe that there is no one who questions the wholehearted commitment of the Japanese people to that issue. In the same way, I believe it would be superfluous to elaborate on the fact that Japan values the activities of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Japan has fielded Mr. Yukiya Amano, Ambassador to the International Organizations in Vienna and former Chairman of the Board of Governors of IAEA, as a candidate to be the next Director-General of IAEA. I strongly urge members to support his candidacy. Just a moment ago, I touched briefly on the significance of 7 July for Japan. The Heads of State and Government and their spouses who gathered in Toyako for the G8 Summit wrote their wishes on bamboo leaves. While the words they chose varied, there was not a single person who did not include a wish for peace. Yet in the short space of time since 08-51851 28 then, there have been incidents at various locations disturbing the peace, one after another. First, regarding the situation in Georgia, I strongly expect to see a peaceful resolution of the issues, based on the principle of territorial integrity; with the parties involved, including Russia, acting in a responsible manner. And speaking of 7 July, that date conjures up abhorrent memories in the United Kingdom. We, here in this Assembly, have been newly incensed at the cruel terrorist attack that took place in Islamabad five days ago. It has also turned out to be difficult to find the path towards improving the situation in Afghanistan. There has been no change whatsoever in the fact that terrorism constitutes the greatest threat to peace and prosperity in the world. I believe that the international community must continue to be engaged in tenacious efforts to combat terrorism. Japan has, from the start, been committed to reconstruction assistance to Afghanistan and we have maintained our refuelling activities in the Indian Ocean. I would like to state here that Japan will continue in the future to stand side by side with the international community and participate proactively in the fight against terrorism. Among outstanding issues in the vicinity of Japan, it goes without saying that the most pressing are those concerning North Korea. North Korea has abducted Japanese citizens, including an innocent young girl named Megumi. Despite pledging to relaunch an investigation into the abduction victims, it has still not taken action towards fulfilling that pledge. Regarding its commitment to abandon its nuclear programmes, it is widely known that recently there has been a conspicuous lack of progress. In parallel with the action that North Korea would take, I am prepared to take action towards the resolution of the outstanding issues of concern between Japan and North Korea and the settlement of the unfortunate past tensions between us, moving Japan-North Korea relations forward. What we are waiting for is action by North Korea. I will also continue to pursue the abandonment of North Korea’s nuclear capabilities and its nuclear weapons within the framework of the Six-Party Talks. That leads me to say that China and the Republic of Korea are each important partners for Japan and countries with which Japan must seek to increase mutual benefits and shared interests. Japan must promote multilayered cooperation with both of those countries as well as with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Together, we must enhance the peace and prosperity of the East Asian region and beyond — towards world peace and prosperity. As I mentioned at the beginning of my remarks, I have only recently become Japan’s Prime Minister. I was designated Prime Minister by the Diet and appointed by His Majesty the Emperor of Japan barely 24 hours ago, and this is my first engagement since assuming office. I hope that through my remarks thus far you can appreciate why I have taken such pains to join you here today. There are numerous points I wanted to raise. Looking back, Japan has come a long way, with the Japan-United States alliance as a permanent cornerstone, while steadfastly enhancing relationships with neighbouring Asian nations. And I believe that the President of this Assembly and all the other dignitaries gathered in this Hall will, without exception, acknowledge that Japan attaches great importance to the United Nations and has never once veered from the path of international cooperation. Even though they have suffered setbacks at times, the citizens of Japan, who have so vigorously pursued the building of the economy, have been guided by a single philosophy until the present day, that peace and happiness are most certainly within our grasp through the pursuit of economic prosperity and democracy. I am determined to work in solidarity with countries holding fundamental values in common and to share Japan’s experiences with nations strongly needing such support. It is my unwavering view that this is a responsibility incumbent on Japan. It is for these reasons that, speaking on behalf of the people of Japan, I must state and reiterate the absolute necessity of United Nations Security Council reform. We must bring about the early reform of the Security Council through an expansion of both the permanent and non-permanent memberships. Next month, new non-permanent members of the Council will be elected, and Japan is standing as a candidate. Let me conclude my remarks today by expressing my sincere wish for the support of Member States for Japan’s candidacy.