I wish to congratulate Her
Excellency Sheikha Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa on her
assumption of the presidency of the sixty-first session
of the General Assembly, and I wish her every success.
I would also like to pay high tribute to the past
President, His Excellency Mr. Jan Eliasson, for his
outstanding leadership during the last session. Japan’s
sincere thanks also go to Secretary-General Kofi
Annan for his dedication and many achievements in
leading the work of the Organization over the past
decade.
Japan congratulates the Republic of Montenegro
on its accession to the United Nations as its 192nd
Member.
Fifty years ago, in December 1956, from this very
podium, the then Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan,
Mamoru Shigemitsu, expressed the nation’s great
honour and delight at becoming the eightieth Member
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of the United Nations and declared Japan’s firm
determination to contribute to the high goals of this
Organization.
Since then, Japan, as a nation committed to
peace, has worked hard in promoting disarmament and
the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction,
supporting the undertakings of the United Nations for
peace and stability in the world such as the
peacekeeping operations, and contributing to world
development and prosperity. The Japanese people take
pride in the contributions they have made over the
years to the United Nations.
The challenges we face today differ significantly
from those of 50 years ago. Yet, the common goals of
humanity that the United Nations has strived for —
peace, development and human rights — remain
unchanged. Japan reaffirms the commitment it made at
the time of its accession, and, building on its
experiences since then, will rededicate its efforts to
achieve those goals.
As Member States, we are responsible, not only
for the actions we take, but also for our inaction.
Within the United Nations, it is the Security Council
that bears the responsibility of delivering swift and
decisive action in the face of a crisis. This summer, the
ability of the international community to mount a
collective response through the Security Council was
tested on several occasions. Let me cite three major
events on which the Council acted: the ballistic missile
launches by the Democratic People’s Republic of
Korea, Iran’s nuclear-related problem and the conflict
in Lebanon.
After the launch of ballistic missiles by the
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea on 4 July, the
Security Council, in a unanimous decision in resolution
1695 (2006), sent a firm message, on behalf of the
entire international community, condemning that
reprehensible act. In accordance with that resolution,
all Member States are now required to take concrete
action as specified therein, and call strongly on the
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to implement
the resolution, fully and without delay. In that
connection, Japan introduced on 19 September a set of
measures for the prevention of the transfer of financial
resources to the Democratic People’s Republic of
Korea, in addition to the long-standing strict export
control measures.
Furthermore, Japan will continue to make its
utmost efforts so that the nuclear issue of the
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and the
abduction issue will be resolved comprehensively and
in accordance with the Pyongyang Declaration of 2002.
With regard to Iran’s nuclear issue, it is our belief
that the adoption of resolution 1696 (2006) will serve
as an important step towards a peaceful settlement of
the issue through diplomatic negotiations. Japan
strongly urges Iran to comply fully with the resolution
by promptly suspending all enrichment-related
activities, and to return to the negotiation process.
Concerning the recent crisis in Lebanon, Japan
welcomes the adoption of resolution 1701 (2006) by
the Security Council and supports the efforts under
way for its implementation. At the same time, the
protracted negotiating process for that resolution
reminded us once again of the importance of the ability
of the Council to respond, swiftly as well as
comprehensively, in such a crisis situation. That is
never an easy task, but one we must always strive to
fulfil.
In response to some of the recent events affecting
international peace and security, the Council succeeded
in arriving at concrete decisions for the Member States
to act upon. Japan is pleased to have played a proactive
role in that process as a member of the Council, and we
intend to cooperate closely with other Member States
in following up on those resolutions.
In countries and regions emerging from conflict,
the key to realizing sustainable peace and prosperity
lies in the consolidation of peace and laying the
foundations for nation-building. It is encouraging to
see the ongoing, concerted efforts of the international
community towards peace consolidation and nation-
building in a number of countries and regions.
Iraq is one such country. Though currently still in
the grip of great hardship, we have every confidence
that Iraq will overcome the difficulties and develop as
a democratic and stable State, and prosper as a
responsible member of the international community.
The International Compact for Iraq, which aims at
forging a new mode of partnership between Iraq and
the international community, will help accelerate the
country’s reconstruction. Japan intends to fully take
part in those international endeavours.
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In Afghanistan, Japan has also been an active
supporter and a leading donor for its reconstruction and
development. We have led the disarmament,
demobilization and reintegration (DDR) efforts in
collaboration with the United Nations, and, upon the
successful completion of the DDR process, are now
taking the lead in the projects for the disbanding of
illegal armed groups.
With regard to Timor-Leste, Japan hopes that the
newly established United Nations mission will
effectively support the country’s nation-building
efforts. As the lead country on Timor-Leste in the
Security Council, Japan will continue to take the
initiative to promote peace and stability and achieve
the early restoration of law and order in that country.
In Africa, as a whole, we begin to see the
situation on the continent moving towards less conflict
and greater peace. The ministerial conference on the
consolidation of peace, that was held under the
framework of the Tokyo International Conference on
African Development (TICAD) in February this year,
not only made an intellectual contribution to the
understanding of peace consolidation, but also
strengthened the will and solidarity of the African
States for peacebuilding. Japan, for its part, has been
expanding assistance for the consolidation of peace in
Africa, with particular focus on the Sudan, the Great
Lakes region and West Africa.
Against such a backdrop, the establishment of the
Peacebuilding Commission represents a significant
milestone in the history of the United Nations. We
must ensure that the Commission’s work is translated
into tangible, practical value-added support to
peacebuilding efforts in countries recovering from
conflict and that it thus helps to make a difference on
the ground. Burundi and Sierra Leone, the first two
countries on the agenda of the Commission, will
provide test cases, in which we must not fail. Japan has
contributed $20 million to the Peacebuilding Fund and
intends to contribute actively to the work of the
Commission.
Post-conflict peacebuilding requires knowledge
and expertise in a wide range of fields, including
ceasefire monitoring, refugee assistance, administrative
and judicial institution-building, and reconstruction
and development. Our experts have been working in
Asian countries to assist their peacebuilding efforts,
such as the establishment of legal and judicial systems.
In order to strengthen our cooperation in this area even
further, we are now considering concrete measures to
train civilians not only from Japan but also from other
Asian countries. We envisage that, one day, civilian
practitioners who have been trained in my country will
find themselves working side by side as fellow Asian
peacebuilders, including, for example, in Africa.
Regional conflicts continue to pose serious
challenges. In addition, the Secretary-General, as he
pointed out earlier from this rostrum, is concerned
about “those who seem eager to foment a new war of
religion” (). While poverty remains the
main scourge in many developing countries,
globalization has also brought to the fore transnational
issues such as terrorism, infectious diseases and
environmental degradation. It is clear that the
international community still has a long way to go to
achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
In tackling these issues, a spirit of tolerance,
compassion and closer international cooperation is
indispensable, and a strengthened United Nations must
be at the centre of the concerted efforts of the
international community. At the same time, new
concepts should also propel these efforts. Japan has
advocated the importance of human security as a
concept that stresses the protection of individuals from
threats to their life and dignity, as well as the value of
their individual empowerment. Together with other
interested countries, we will promote human security
and the approach based on it during this General
Assembly session.
Along with human security, respect for the
ownership of developing countries, based on good
governance, should be a pillar underpinning the
strategy for reducing poverty through economic
growth. Given these principles, Japan intends to
enhance its development assistance to achieve the
MDGs, by faithfully implementing the commitments
made last year to increase the volume of its official
development assistance (ODA) by $10 billion over a
period of five years and to double its ODA to Africa
over a period of three years. On trade, Japan will do its
utmost to bring about the early resumption and
successful conclusion of the WTO Doha Development
Round negotiations.
Close international cooperation is vital in our
fight against terrorism. In this regard, Japan welcomes
the adoption by the General Assembly of the United
Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (resolution
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60/288) and calls for the early conclusion of
negotiations on a comprehensive convention on
international terrorism.
Health is another area in which Japan has worked
extensively in cooperation with the international
community, including efforts against avian and
pandemic influenza and HIV/AIDS. Japan recognizes
the importance of the activities of the World Health
Organization and will further strengthen its
cooperation with that organization, particularly in
Africa.
As is often emphasized, peace, development and
human rights are linked and complement one another.
Japan’s own experience in the 60 years since the
Second World War is eloquent testimony to this fact.
We have high expectations for the newly created
Human Rights Council and look to it to open a new
page in the promotion of respect for human rights. As a
member, Japan will play a constructive role in the
Council. Japan also supports the early adoption of the
draft conventions on enforced disappearance and on
the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities.
The United Nations has heavy responsibilities, in
today’s and tomorrow’s world, as an indispensable
global instrument for resolving conflicts, building
peace, addressing emerging global threats and laying
the foundation for prosperity. To fulfil such a mission,
it must be efficient and effective, as well as
accountable and broadly representative in its decisions
and operations. Reform of the Organization’s structure
and the manner in which it functions is, therefore,
critically important. In September last year, leaders
expressed their resolve to achieve comprehensive
reform of this universal body. One year on, some
encouraging progress has been made, including the
establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission and
the Human Rights Council. However, reform of the
Security Council remains outstanding on the
institutional reform agenda.
Perhaps a limited few may find it in their interest
to leave the Security Council configured in the way it
was in 1945. It is clear, however, that no one stands to
gain from the waning credibility that failure to reform
could entail. The call for a more effective,
representative and transparent Council that can meet
the demands of the new century is not mere rhetoric; it
is real and urgent. An overwhelming majority of the
Member States, including Japan, agree that the
international community should approach and carry out
reform with a sense of urgency, and Japan is
determined to continue to take the initiative in this
critical endeavour. The Member States now need a new
proposal on Security Council reform — one that is
both creative and persuasive — in order to take an
early decision during the current session of the General
Assembly. At the same time, other important areas for
reform must also be addressed. We need concrete
results in management reform if we are to demonstrate
that the United Nations is capable of reforming itself.
It is also our hope that there will be a constructive
dialogue on the question of United Nations system-
wide coherence, based on the report of the High-level
Panel to be issued later this year.
In this connection, I would also remind the
Member States that world leaders resolved last year to
delete the long-obsolete “enemy State” clauses from
the United Nations Charter. This is another indication
that the United Nations is ready to step out of the past
and into the new era.
Having made a significant contribution to the
activities of the United Nations since its inception,
Japan has an exemplary record with regard to the
fulfilment of its duties as a Member State, including
assessed contributions. Nevertheless, we strongly
believe that the United Nations needs a reformed scale-
of-assessments structure — one that is more equitable
and fair and duly takes into account the status and
responsibilities of each Member State. Japan will work
together with other Member States to formulate such a
structure, which will bring financial stability to this
Organization.
Our common task for the sixty-first session is to
continue our work and translate the decisions on
reform made at the World Summit into reality. Let us
join forces once again and create an efficient and
effective United Nations, so that Member States can
better respond to the aspirations and expectations of
the international community for a better future.