1. Mr. President, on behalf of the Japanese delegation, I wish to extend my heartiest congratulations to you on your assumption of the Presidency of the General Assembly at its twenty-third session. I am confident that with your knowledge and your wealth of experience in the field of international diplomacy, you will no doubt lead this session to many fruitful accomplishments.
2. I should also like to take this opportunity to express my profound appreciation to the former President of the Assembly, His Excellency Mr. Corneliu Manescu, the Foreign Minister of the Socialist Republic of Romania. As an international statesman, with high skill he successfully brought to a close the very difficult period of the twenty-second session of the General Assembly, including its resumed part. It is my great pleasure to note that the United Nations, under his leadership, was able to enhance further its authority and prestige.
3. At the same time, I wish to pay a high tribute to His Excellency Secretary-General U Thant and express my appreciation for his zeal and devotion to the maintenance of world peace. It is my hope that he will continue his efforts from an impartial standpoint towards the establishment of peace based on freedom and justice.
4. To the delegation of Swaziland, I offer my heartfelt congratulations; we welcome the admission of that country to our Organization. The Japanese delegation holds high expectations and expresses its confidence that Swaziland will contribute to the maintenance of world peace in accordance with the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter.
5. At the beginning of this twenty-third session of the General Assembly, after twenty-three years of alternating hope and despair since the end of the Second World War, I should like to ask the question: do we find ourselves today in the kind of international environment we earnestly hoped to bring about twenty-three years ago, when we pledged ourselves to the cause of everlasting peace and thought we had made a fresh start towards building a secure world again? Are we at least coming closer to what we hoped for at that time?
6. Is it not, regrettably, true that we cannot give a fully affirmative answer to that question? Was not mankind supposed to have set out on the tasks of building a new and peaceful world, transcending our animosities of the past?
7. If we start enumerating examples which run counter to the tide for peace, we cannot help thinking of what happened in Czechoslovakia last August. We recall that a further relaxation in international tension and the strengthening of mutual trust among nations had been expected to come about as a result of the accumulated efforts of many nations. This expectation, however, suffered a severe set-back because of the recent events, and our disillusionment was profound.
8. This military intervention, though unaccompanied by large-scale bloodshed, was indisputably an act incompatible with the spirit and the letter of the United Nations Charter. Japan appeals for the earliest withdrawal of the armed forces involved and the attainment of a genuinely peaceful and amicable settlement of the grave situation.
9. Can the problems of our international community be solved only by force? I do not think so. In this nuclear age, abuse of force risks entailing the total destruction of all mankind. I am convinced that the basis of the world order today should never be sought by sheer force, but in the rule of law and justice, responsive to the requirements of our changing times.
10. What should we do and how should we act to achieve an international community in which the rule of law and justice will prevail and thus ensure peace and security in this world? This Organization of ours, the United Nations, is based upon the principle of the sovereign equality of its Members. The Members have also pledged themselves to respect the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples. It is self-evident that all Members shall mutually respect, and shall refrain from interfering with, the sovereignty and independence of other Members.
11. Many nations in this world live under differing social systems. The major premise for peace is that each and every country should endeavour td live in coexistence with its neighbours on the basis of the principle of non-intervention, transcending differences in social systems and respecting each other’s sovereignty and independence. Our Charter expressly lays down the principles that international disputes shall be settled by peaceful means, and that the threat or use of force against the sovereignty and independence of another State shall be refrained from. Only when all the countries of the world faithfully observe these principles will an international order based upon law and justice be established, and the maintenance of national security and international peace become possible.
12. The Charter of the United Nations binds the Members to join forces and co-operate for the establishment of an international order where the dominant principle should be “law and justice", instead of an international order ruled by force, where “might is right.” In this nuclear age, charged with the peril of mankind’s annihilation, all the nations of the world, both large and small, must share the common responsibility for securing the peace of the world. But I wish to stress that, above all, the great Powers, those who sit permanently on the Security Council and who possess the right of veto, are those who shoulder the gravest responsibility for the establishment of international order and the maintenance of peace in our world. I emphasize this again and again.
13. Abuse of force by a great Power inevitably threatens the peace of the whole world, involving the gravest risks. It is the great Powers that must awaken to their grave responsibility for maintaining world peace. They must exercise rigorous self-restraint in the use of their power. They must strictly abide by the fundamental principles of the Charter of the United Nations. I wish to underline these points as strongly as I can.
14. Is it not high time for us to revive our aspirations and to renew our pledge of twenty-three years ago, to recall the spirit of the Charter and carefully to read over its solemn provisions, for our renewed guidance?
15. Until quite recently we were able to discern signs of a detente in East-West relations — a very welcome development indeed. But as a result of the recent unfortunate events, distrust and suspicion have been created among the nations. Nevertheless, we must now absolutely avoid any turn of events which would nip the trend towards détente in the bud and bring about a reversion to the cold war. I wish to urge most strongly that to prevent any such reversion nations continue to strive for the establishment of a genuinely lasting peace in the world, not subject to the expediency based on the self-interest of the big Powers.
16. Today the United Nations is criticized as not being effective enough to solve serious international disputes by itself. It is also evident, however, that the United Nations can claim credit for making steady progress in removing the seeds of many a potential dispute from the scene of international affairs, and for keeping situations from deteriorating when conflicts have already broken out; it has successfully prevented the recurrence of hostilities in many cases. This fact should be accorded due and full appreciation. Whether or not the United Nations can be further strengthened depends solely on the attitudes and efforts of the Member States.
17. Japan possesses a Constitution which renounces war and is dedicated to peace. Moreover, the foundations of Japan’s very existence depend upon peace and stability in the world. I wish to emphasize here, therefore, that Japan is determined to observe faithfully the principles of the United Nations and will spare no efforts nor co-operation towards further enhancing the effectiveness of the function of the United Nations in the maintenance of peace.
18. Now that we are living in the nuclear age, the gravest threat to world peace is the danger of nuclear war. Nobody can doubt this. It is a matter of utmost urgency for mankind to take the measures necessary to prevent this danger from becoming a reality. It has been in the light of this knowledge that, in the forums of the United Nations and the Conference of the Eighteen-Nation Committee on Disarmament during the past several years, efforts have been concentrated towards the conclusion of a treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. It is highly significant that at last this year such a treaty has been opened for signature [see resolution 2373 (XXII)]. Japan subscribes to the spirit of this Treaty and is now carefully studying all questions relevant to its possible participation in it.
19. I think the significance of the Treaty can be discussed from various aspects. One is the expectation that it can be a threshold to nuclear disarmament by the great Powers. Another is the fact that it will keep the number of nuclear-weapon States from increasing above the present five, and will lessen the danger of the threat of nuclear war becoming even greater than at present.
20. There is one more aspect that I should like to emphasize, and that is that this treaty must become a new starting point for promoting international co-operation for research and development in the field of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Japan, poor in energy resources, yields to none in the great hopes which its people place on the future development of nuclear energy. While we have no intention of developing nuclear weapons, we do wish to become one of the leading nations in the field of peaceful uses of nuclear energy. From this point of view, I look forward to the future role of the Treaty in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and wish to stress the importance of the principle of equal opportunity in this field.
21. With the conclusion of the non-proliferation Treaty, the nuclear-weapon States must demonstrate an ever greater willingness to achieve nuclear disarmament. The Japanese Government welcomes the fact that the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States of America have reached agreement to conduct negotiations for the limitation and reduction of strategic nuclear-weapon delivery systems and hopes that, in spite of recent developments in the international situation, these negotiations will commence at the earliest opportunity, and that they will produce tangible results.
22. At the same time, now that universal hopes have been placed on moves towards nuclear disarmament, it is our strong desire that France and the People’s Republic of China will change their previous attitude and willingly participate in international talks on the subject of nuclear disarmament.
23. At its session which ended on 28 August, the Conference of the Eighteen-Nation Committee on Disarmament agreed on its agenda for future discussions on disarmament questions and also established the order of priority for each item. Japan, for its part, places the greatest importance on the question of a comprehensive prohibition of nuclear-weapon tests as the next measure to be taken in the field of nuclear disarmament following the non-proliferation Treaty. The conflict of views between the countries concerned regarding the necessity of international control, matters such as on-the-spot inspection, verification, etc., is the main obstacle to the conclusion of a treaty to prohibit all nuclear-weapon tests, including those conducted underground. My delegation cannot but wish that these problems be solved and that a comprehensive test-ban treaty will come into being as soon as possible.
24. The major points of discussion at the Conference of Non-Nuclear-Weapon States, which closed a few days ago in Geneva, were the security of those States, nuclear disarmament, and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Every one of these issues is an important problem that has a bearing upon the non-proliferation Treaty. Unless efforts are made to solve them, the high aims of this Treaty — to bring about the maximum utilization of nuclear energy in the interest of the welfare and prosperity of mankind, while lessening the danger of nuclear war — are sure to be lost in the wilderness.
25. As the only nation which has had physical experience of the horrifying disaster of nuclear explosions, the Japanese people fervently hope that nuclear weapons will come to be completely eliminated from human society. The question of nuclear disarmament presents itself to the Japanese people as one of the most important questions to be tackled by those living in this modern age. We consequently hope to make a positive contribution to future discussions on disarmament questions.
26. One of the problems cf the greatest concern to many countries in our present world is the future course of the conflict in Viet-Nam. It is encouraging that talks for a peaceful settlement have begun between the United States of America and North Viet-Nam. However, the fighting in Viet-Nam is still going on. Having arrived at this stage, a political settlement in a spirit of compromise on both sides seems after all to be the only way that will lead the Viet-Nam war to a solution. I expressed my hope in this forum last year that both parties would move together for peace. I do not think that the gap still remaining between the parties at the Paris talks is so wide that it can never be closed. I consider that, if both sides take a step forward towards each other, the door will be opened for contacts and substantial talks among all the parties concerned. There has never been a time when the high statesmanship of leaders of the parties concerned is required so badly as today for the securing of peace in Asia. I repeat my appeal: to both sides for further moves to close the gap.
27. I believe that, for the solution of the problem of Viet-Nam, peace should be realized on the basis of the Geneva Agreements under appropriate international guarantee. Once peace is realized, then all the people of Viet-Nam should determine their future themselves without any foreign influence or intervention.
28. In any event, a settlement of the Viet-Nam war cannot be a true settlement unless it is conducive to the lasting peace and security of Asia. Of course, the basis for such a settlement must be connected to the stabilization of the life of the people. Japan is, therefore, deeply interested in the rehabilitation of the area after the war. After peace is restored, international co-operation on a wide scale will be required for relief and rehabilitation, not only in Viet-Nam itself, but in the other countries affected by the war as well—indeed in the whole of the Indo-Chinese peninsula. It is my hope that an international fund for this purpose will be established through which nations will be able to channel their co-operation in a joint and concerted effort. Japan is prepared to contribute its share to such multilateral co-operation up to the limits of its capacity.
29. Japan, as a nation of Asia, is determined to co-operate to the fullest possible extent to promote the economic and social development of the whole region of Asia. As Members are well aware, Asia embraces more than half the population of the world; yet the total national income of Asian countries is only a very small fraction of the world’s aggregate income. It is my view that development for Asia should be to promote, first of all, the modernization of the agricultural sector, thus consolidating the groundwork for industrialization, and to implement over-all development programmes covering, inter alia, the advancement of education and the promotion of technology. However, we recognize that there are limits to the self-help capacity of the developing countries. Therefore, together with aid from developed countries, regional co-operation is strongly needed for the accomplishment of economic development.
30. It is gratifying to note that in recent years efforts have been made among some Asian countries to achieve their common objectives by their own hands, and that there has been a strong tendency towards regional co-operation, as demonstrated by the birth of such organizations as the Asian and Pacific Council, the Association of South-East Asian Nations, and the Regional Co-operation for Development. We heartily welcome such forward moves and, for our part, have co-operated in the regional development of Asia through our positive contributions to the work of ECAFE, the Ministerial Conference for Economic Development of South-East Asia, the Asian Development Bank, etc.
31. Japan recognizes that promotion of the economic and social development of Asia relates directly to the peace and stability of the whole world. Therefore, despite various difficulties at home, it has made every effort to promote trade with Asian countries and to strengthen its aid to them. Japan’s aid to nations in Asia totalled approximately $570 million in 1967, representing an increase of 2.2 times in comparison with the $260 million in 1964. Also in the trade field Japan has made particular efforts to expand imports from Asian countries. Our imports from those countries in 1967 amounted to $3.3 billion, showing a 50 per cent increase from $2.25 billion in 1964, and accounting for 30 per cent of Japan’s total imports in 1967. We intend to continue to explore all possible ways, such as the promotion of develop-and-import schemes, to expand our trade with those countries.
32. At present, Asia receives considerably smaller amounts of aid as compared with the other developing regions. The average per capita amount of aid received by Asian peoples during the three years from 1964 to 1966 was a low as $3.1 per year, as compared with $5.7 received by the African and $4.3 by the Latin American peoples. The needs of the South-East Asian countries, in particular, have been sadly neglected, and they have been receiving annually less than $2.00 per person. The needs of Asia are so great that they exceed by far the contribution Japan can make despite its best efforts. I earnestly hope, therefore, that the amount of world aid to Asia and, in particular, to South-East Asia will be greatly increased.
33. I believe that peace and prosperity in Asia can be accelerated only when mutual co-operation among the Asian countries themselves is combined with the further co-operation of the developed countries in the Pacific region. Looking forward to long-lasting peace and stability in Asia after the war in Viet-Nam, what is needed is to further strengthen the foundation for co-operation among the countries in the wider region of Asia and the Pacific. As a nation situated at a point where Asia meets the Pacific, and sharing our destiny with the countries in the region, we will make our utmost contribution to this important long-range task of Asia-Pacific co-operation.
34. The Middle Eastern conflict was one of the most serious international issues of the past year, and it was one of the major achievements of the United Nations in that year that this Organization, through the Security Council, was able to reach an agreement last November on how the solution of this international conflict should be achieved. We note with deep regret, however, that the Security Council resolution has not so far been implemented, while tensions between the parties persist in the troubled area; armed clashes, though small in scale, still take place from time to time in violation of the cease-fire.
35. Japan maintains the view that any territorial expansion by force is unacceptable, as it constitutes a violation of the principles of peaceful settlement of disputes and of the non-use of force, and that therefore Israeli armed forces should be withdrawn from the occupied territories. Withdrawal of Israeli forces, however, should be accompanied by solutions of such questions as the termination of the state of belligerency and mutual respect of the rights of the nations concerned to live in peace in the area. Japan’s view is that a fair and equitable solution should be reached on the basis of Security Council resolution 242(1967). It is earnestly hoped that the parties to the conflict will co-operate with Mr. Jarring, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, to establish as soon as possible a basis for an enduring peace in the Middle East. A fair and effective solution which would form the basis for a lasting peace in the area should be one approved in the forum of the United Nations, one for the implementation of which this world Organization should continue to bear responsibilities. Considering the hardships of more than twenty years which have been borne by the Arab refugees, who, I believe, number more than a million and a half, I should like to point out once again to all nations the urgency of solving the Middle Eastern problem.
36. In our international community, numerous difficult problems still remain. The China question is one of the most important among them, exerting a far-reaching influence upon other Asian countries. The problem is further complicated by the confrontation between the People’s Republic of China on the mainland and the Republic of China in Taiwan.
37. The question of Chinese representation in the United Nations is only one aspect of the complex China problem. This question, therefore, should be treated in such a way as to serve for the solution of the whole problem of China. It is, accordingly, our position that the representation question is not a mere procedural matter but is an “important question” under Article 18 of the Charter which, like many other questions, requires a two-thirds majority for decision.
38. At the present moment, the People’s Republic of China is maintaining in its external affairs a rigid posture based on its particular ideology and judgement. Japan, being geographically a neighbour to and having historically maintained close relations with the China mainland, feels more strongly perhaps than any other country in wishing that mainland China would be able to adopt a conciliatory attitude in its relations with other countries of the world. The attitude of mainland China, with its vast territory and its over 700 million people, has a serious impact on Asia, and indeed on the whole world. In this sense, we hope for the day when the People’s Republic of China will willingly come to play a constructive role for world peace, realizing its duties and responsibilities in the international society.
39. Among the very difficult problems confronting the United Nations today is the problem of southern Africa. At the heart of this problem lies racial discrimination, a violation of the principle of equal rights of peoples as prescribed in the United Nations Charter. Japan has deep sympathy for the African nations which advocate the abolition of the polices of apartheid and the independence of colonial territories. Once again I strongly appeal to those Governments which administer southern Africa to renounce their policies of racial discrimination, which is the root of the problem.
40. I consider that a realistic approach to this problem will become increasingly necessary in the days ahead, and the understanding and patience of the countries concerned are essential. Japan wishes to continue to make such contribution as it can towards a peaceful solution of the problem.
41. Respect for human rights is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world, as proclaimed in the opening paragraph of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The persistence of armed conflicts and racial discrimination in today’s world is regrettable indeed from the point of view of respect for human rights. The United Nations has been engaged in various activities to promote respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It is particularly significant that the Organization has designated this year as the International Year for Human Rights. We noted with special interest that an International Conference on Human Rights was held at Teheran as the main event of the International Year to discuss the problems of human rights and freedoms and peace in the world.
42. The protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms is one of the basic principles embodied in the Constitution of my country. We have adopted the policy of active participation in the International Year for Human Rights, and various programmes and activities have been organized to promote further among the Japanese people an understanding of the principles contained in the Universal Declaration and the idea of respect for human rights. I am confident that the International Year for Human Rights will greatly contribute to international co-operation in this field and the furtherance of the well-being of the peoples of the world.
43. In this connexion, the sight of the tragic victims of conflict in a part of the African continent evokes our deepest compassion. We cannot but express deep concern over the situation. It is only natural that already from many quarters the hand of assistance is being extended from a purely humanitarian viewpoint quite removed from any political considerations. It is my sincere wish that the parties to the conflict, from the lofty standpoint of love of humanity, will make further efforts to bring this tragedy to an end at the earliest possible date.
44. I believe that the promotion of economic and social development, conducive to the elimination of poverty and the advancement of welfare, constitutes the foundation for peace. The United Nations family of organizations has made significant contributions towards furtherance of the economic development of the developing countries.
45. May I say, first, that I fully recognize the significance of the second session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, held in New Delhi from February to March this year. In my view, the second UNCTAD should be appraised not from a short-term but from a long-term perspective. From this viewpoint I find it particularly important that the second UNCTAD made a significant step forward towards modest but realistic international co-operation for the solution of such problems as preferential treatment for products of the developing countries, technical and financial assistance, the food shortage, regional co-operation and so on. Much credit is due, and I should like to pay a tribute, to the distinguished Secretary-General of UNCTAD, Dr. Raúl Prebisch, for his untiring efforts in guiding the Conference along realistic paths. I should also like to express our sincere hope that UNCTAD will continue to make a useful contribution to the solution of problems which are the common concern of all mankind. Japan, for its part, has committed itself to spare no efforts in this common undertaking.
46. I should now like to refer to the problem of the United Nations Development Decade. The Economic and Social Council and other related organs have already begun the work necessary to establish the targets for the second development decade, to follow the first Decade of the 1960s. We, for our part, are participating in this work and are determined to make every possible contribution to the search for truly effective programmes for development.
47. There are some who tend to belittle the achievements of the first Development Decade. Yet I am of the view that the powerful stimulating effect which the first Decade has already had and is still having should not be underestimated. We see examples of this in the establishment of a series of such organizations as the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the United Nations Development Programme, and the World Food Programme. We also find it encouraging that there are a number of developing countries that have positive prospects of attaining the growth target of the present decade. In planning for the second development decade, we should try to find a set of realistic targets. The main and very difficult task will be how to reflect in the form of over-all global targets the divergencies in economic conditions in each region and the differences in the stage of economic development. Furthermore, in our view, in the formulation of targets for the second decade a well-balanced, over-all development plan embracing the social as well as the economic sector should be sought. And a wide range of development programmes must be promoted simultaneously, covering not only industrialization but also modernization of agriculture, population control, advancement of education, promotion of science and technology, and so on.
48. This year, the United Nations has further extended the scope of its activities to areas where human endeavours for development have been so far comparatively restricted. In the course of the year, the Ad Hoc Committee to Study the Peaceful Uses of the Sea-Bed and the Ocean Floor Beyond the Limits of National Jurisdiction had a number of meetings, and the United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space was held in Vienna. It is certainly true that today’s highly advanced science and technology enable the human race to extend its domain to the remote reaches of outer space and to the farthest depths of the seas and the ocean floor. The efforts of the United Nations towards ensuring only for peaceful uses such ever-expanding new fields of human activity should be highly appreciated.
49. To that end it is necessary that we emancipate ourselves from the conventional yoke of national concepts and, through constantly greater international co-operation, develop these newly explored fields for the benefit and prosperity of the human race as a whole.
50. Not only with regard to the areas I have just referred to, but also with regard to the numerous kinds of activities in the economic and social fields, in which a growing number of international bodies are engaged, we know that there is a substantial tendency towards overlapping and duplication of organization and function. I wish to express the hope, therefore, that every effort will be made to avoid such overlapping and to attain the objective of maximum efficiency with minimum cost by means of harmonious co-ordination among the various activities of the United Nations and its related organs.
51. Twenty-three years ago the United Nations came into being for the purpose of maintaining peace and establishing an international order based on law and justice. And we declared that “since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed”.
52. As the process of nation-building begins with the education and training of the individual citizen, so also it is the human element that is vital to the strengthening of the United Nations. What is needed today is the nurturing of persons who could devote themselves to the task of realizing the spirit of the United Nations, consistent with the needs of the times. In this sense the efforts of such organizations as the United Nations Institute for Training and Research should be enhanced and strengthened. The Member States, on their part, should respond to the efforts of those bodies by striving themselves to develop internationally-minded people with such resolve and philosophy.
53. What is fundamentally necessary for us today is to adapt our very way of thinking, the way we look at things, to this modern age, as we approach the brink of the twenty-first century. I am confident that bringing into being more people who embody the spirit of the United Nations will provide a strong driving force and will not fail to infuse a vigorous freshness into our future efforts for peace in this world.
54. Let us go back again to what we pledged twenty-three years ago, let us transcend the tragedy of war and our animosities, let us proceed with the building of the peaceful world envisaged in the United Nations Charter. And let us bequeath to the young generation of today a better world tomorrow.