Japan, 1996

I should like, first of all,

to extend my warmest compliments to His Excellency Mr.

Razali Ismail, Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the

United Nations, on his assumption of the presidency of the

General Assembly last week. I also pay tribute to the

efforts of His Excellency Mr. Diego Freitas do Amaral,

who demonstrated great skill in presiding over the historic

fiftieth-anniversary session.

Last year commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of the

United Nations. This year marks the fortieth anniversary of

Japan’s admission to the United Nations. Over the past four

decades, Japan has consistently made its commitment to the

United Nations one of the main pillars of its foreign policy

and has steadfastly supported the United Nations.

At the same time, Japan has benefited immensely from

the international system, including the United Nations. I

should like to take this opportunity to express my sincere

gratitude for the support Japan has received from the

international community in building the stability and

prosperity it enjoys today. In addition, as the role of the

United Nations grows in importance in the new post-cold-

war environment, I hereby affirm that Japan is resolved to

play a more active role by further strengthening the

cooperation it extends to the Organization for the sake of

world peace and prosperity.

My ultimate foreign policy goal is the creation of a

better world for future generations, a world free of poverty

and conflict. I intend to achieve this goal through change

and creation, which is the mission of my Cabinet. Children

who can talk vividly about their dreams of the future are

the world’s treasure. Is it not our grave responsibility, as

leaders of the international community, to build an

environment in which the children of the next generation

can flourish?

Efforts towards the creation of a better world for

future generations must be based on the following three

pillars: first, securing world peace and stability; secondly,

promoting development so as to bring growth and stability

to developing countries; and thirdly, ensuring the well-being

of each and every citizen throughout global society. These

three pillars are interrelated, and we will be unable to

achieve a world free of poverty and conflict if any one of

the three is missing, or if only one of them is in place.

Since taking office, I have pursued foreign policies

based on the strong belief that Japan should be a nation

that works for world peace and stability on its own

initiative. In accordance with this position, Japan intends

to play a leading role in the building of each of these

three pillars, as I shall subsequently explain. These are

precisely the areas which the United Nations of the

twenty-first century will be expected to address.

The first pillar is securing world peace and stability.

This is surely of the utmost importance, because unless

this is achieved, future generations will be left with

nothing but confusion and destruction. At this time of

ever greater interdependence, world peace is indivisible.

Instability in one region can readily lead to the instability

of other regions and, in turn, to the instability of the

world as a whole. It is Japan’s intention not simply to

secure its own peace and stability but, consonant with the

philosophy embodied in the Constitution of Japan, it will

strive to secure global peace and stability and make

greater efforts, commensurate with its political and

economic status, for the prevention and resolution of

conflicts in various regions of the world.

It goes without saying that, as a nation in Asia,

Japan will spare no effort in securing peace and stability

in the region. The recent incident of infiltration by a

North Korean submarine makes us all the more aware of

the importance of easing tensions on the Korean

peninsula. Realization of the four-party meeting, which

was proposed by the leaders of the United States and the

Republic of Korea last April, is very important, and I

should like on this occasion to reiterate Japan’s support

for that proposal. In an effort to further strengthen the

achievements of the Cambodian peace process, which has

proved to be a successful example of the international

community’s peace-building efforts, and looking ahead to

the elections that Cambodia will hold on its own for the

first time beginning next year, Japan intends to continue

to extend assistance to that country. Japan welcomes the

fact that Russia, also located in the Asian region, is

continuing its reform process in the light of the results of

the recent presidential election. Moreover, by actively

participating in political and security dialogue, for

example in the context of the ASEAN Regional Forum,

Japan is endeavouring to further promote confidence-

building in the region.

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At the same time, Japan is actively engaged in

addressing issues in other regions, for example by

cooperating with United Nations activities to foster global

peace. During the latter part of August I visited five

countries in Latin America where I witnessed at first hand

the success of the democratization process and steady

progress in economic reform. Japan intends to strengthen its

assistance for the stable development of this region.

In the former Yugoslavia, Japan has contributed both

personnel and financing to the local and national elections

recently held in Bosnia in view of their importance in the

formation of a democratic political system. As a member of

the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council,

Japan will continue to participate actively in the civilian

aspects of international efforts towards the implementation

of the peace process.

On the occasion of Foreign Minister Ikeda’s visit to

the Middle East in August, and Chairman Arafat’s visit to

Tokyo in mid-September, Japan called for continued

negotiations among the parties to the Middle East peace

process. Japan is determined to continue to contribute to the

creation of an environment conducive to the advancement

of the peace process by extending assistance to the parties

concerned, including assistance to the Palestinian people,

and by participating in multilateral talks.

Japan is gravely concerned about the current situation

in Iraq. It strongly hopes that Iraq will listen to the opinion

of the international community and comply in good faith

with the relevant Security Council resolutions so that the

situation will be settled as soon as possible.

In order to resolve the Afghanistan issue it is

important that foreign interference cease and that the

success of the peace and reconciliation efforts of the United

Nations is ensured. Toward that end, Japan is providing an

expert on that region to serve as a political counsellor at the

United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan.

The ongoing regional conflicts in Africa, including the

situations in Burundi, Liberia and Angola, are of grave

concern. The international community must actively support

the conflict-prevention and conflict-resolution efforts of

African countries as well as the strengthening of their

capabilities in this regard. In addition to extending financial

contributions to the Organization of African Unity and the

Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in

Central Africa, Japan is extending assistance to

peacekeeping operations, refugee assistance, rehabilitation

assistance, and assistance for democratization in the form

of personnel and intellectual input.

Peacekeeping operations are an effective complement

to the collective security function as originally envisaged

in the United Nations Charter, and they supplement the

conflict-resolution efforts of the parties themselves. It is

important that the international community should

continue to support peacekeeping operations but also that

it should seek their further reform. Experiences in recent

years have reaffirmed the effectiveness of traditional

peacekeeping operations. Their role in preventing

conflicts, as exemplified by the success of the United

Nations Preventive Deployment Force (UNPREDEP), is

likely to become increasingly important. Japan will

continue to participate in the discussions that are now

under way among interested Member States on measures

to improve the rapid reaction capabilities of the

peacekeeping operations. Japan is participating in the

United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF)

in the Golan Heights and intends hereafter to cooperate

actively and as much as possible in peacekeeping

operations.

I believe that, as it responds to regional conflicts, the

United Nations has the potential to fulfil, in a practical

manner, an extremely effective function through

preventive diplomacy. I should like to propose that a

meeting of eminent persons be convened to explore

means of enhancing the Organization’s preventive

diplomacy capability.

In order to maintain international peace and stability,

it is essential to further promote disarmament efforts and

to strengthen the regime for the non-proliferation of

weapons of mass destruction. In particular, Japan would

vigorously emphasize the importance for the international

community of promoting realistic and steady efforts for

nuclear disarmament with the aim of realizing a world

free of nuclear weapons. As the only country to have

suffered nuclear devastation, Japan has been making

precisely this appeal to the international community as a

top priority in accordance with its own philosophy.

Thus I am deeply gratified by the adoption of the

Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty by the General

Assembly with the support of many Member States; this

indeed marks a historic step towards a world free of

nuclear weapons. Having the opportunity just this

morning to sign the Treaty gave me great personal

satisfaction. In order to realize the early entry into force

of the Treaty, Japan would like to call upon those

9

countries which have expressed opposition to the Treaty to

accede to it at the earliest possible date from the broader

perspective of promoting nuclear disarmament. For its part,

Japan will continue to make contributions in the field of

verification of nuclear testing, by such means as expanding

the technical cooperation on seismic technologies that it

extends to concerned developing countries. As a next step

towards the elimination of nuclear weapons, I should like

to call for the early commencement of negotiations on a

cut-off treaty which would prohibit the production of fissile

materials for nuclear weapons.

Japan takes the problems posed by landmines very

seriously. Japan supports international efforts toward a total,

worldwide ban on anti-personnel landmines. Furthermore,

in order to reinforce international support for measures to

deal with anti-personnel landmines, Japan is preparing to

host a meeting at the senior official level in Tokyo early

next year.

The promotion of development to bring about the

growth and stability of developing countries is the second

pillar required for the creation of a better world for future

generations. Development is a prerequisite for peace; at the

same time, the maintenance of peace is a precondition for

development. As a leading donor, Japan will work to

further enhance its official development assistance; at the

same time, it is keenly aware of its responsibility to lead

the discussion on issues relating to the proper form and

provision of such assistance.

Based on this recognition, Japan has been calling for

a new development strategy. The central ideas in this

strategy are an emphasis on the ownership by developing

countries of the development process and on the

establishment of a new global partnership in which

developed and developing countries, released from the

North-South confrontational mind-set, cooperate with each

other. Moreover, it is important to address development not

simply with official development assistance, but also by

organically combining various elements including trade,

investment, economic policy, debt relief, technology

transfer, and the development of social infrastructure. It is

also important to extend assistance that is most appropriate

to the circumstances of the particular country while paying

adequate attention to the efforts made by developing

countries in the promotion of democratization and the

introduction of market-oriented economies. Furthermore,

Japan attaches importance to the setting of development

targets and the reinvestment in development activities of

savings resulting from reforms, as well as to promoting

coordination between the United Nations and the Bretton

Woods institutions.

We have witnessed the development of various

forms of regional cooperation, such as the Southern

African Development Community, MERCOSUR, and the

South Pacific Forum; such regional cooperation is an

important element for development. Emphasizing the

significance of South-South cooperation, Japan is utilizing

the Japanese Human Resources Development Fund in the

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in

order to support South-South cooperation.

In the context of developing countries, Japan

attaches particular importance to the development of

Africa, where poverty and conflict are particularly acute.

Japan will actively promote its initiatives on assistance to

African countries, which Foreign Minister Ikeda presented

during the general debate of the Ninth United Nations

Conference on Trade and Development, convened in

South Africa this past spring. In order to give new

momentum to African development, Japan is hoping to

convene the second meeting of the Tokyo International

Conference on African Development in 1998, which

would follow a preparatory meeting that will take place,

also in Tokyo, in 1997.

The third pillar to which I would like to refer is the

guarantee of the well-being of every citizen of the global

community. It is important to embrace the global

community as a whole, and to give heed to the

importance of each and every one of its members. Indeed,

the peace of mind of individuals contributes to the peace

and stability of the world.

Japan intends to address more actively various social

problems such as the environment, population, AIDS,

drugs, terrorism, organized crime, refugees and the status

of women, as well as problems relating to food and

energy, which may become more acute in the years to

come. Concerned about environmental issues, Japan will

host the third conference of the parties to the United

Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in

Kyoto in December next year. Japan will make every

effort toward the adoption at that conference of an

effective and practical document prescribing an

international framework to prevent global warming after

the year 2000. I should like to call for the valuable

cooperation of every Member State and international

organization concerned for the success of that conference.

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Recognizing that it is important that each and every

human being be cared for, throughout more than 30 years

of political activity, I have focused my attention on the

protection of the most vulnerable among us and to the

elimination of poverty. The Initiative for a Caring World

which I proposed on the occasion of the Lyons summit of

the Group of Seven is an extension of this endeavour.

Under this initiative, Japan intends, first of all, to share

with developing countries its experiences in the field of

social security, including health care, hygiene and social

welfare services so that they can develop more effective

services in these areas, and secondly, to exchange

experiences and knowledge with other developed countries

with respect to issues that they commonly confront.

As I stated at the outset, I should like to urge world

leaders to join hands and strengthen their efforts

particularly on behalf of the well-being of children. Ever

since the Japan Committee for the United Nations

Children’s Fund (UNICEF) was established in 1955, my

mother has been dedicating herself to promoting its

activities. This has had a profound influence on me, and I

too have been actively engaged in its activities. Japan has

been contributing approximately $30 million to UNICEF

annually and it intends hereafter to strengthen its

cooperation. As part of its initiatives on assistance to Africa

which I mentioned earlier, Japan announced that it would

provide assistance for the expansion of education and the

eradication of polio on that continent. It also intends to

enhance its assistance for the protection of the health of

very young children in developing countries.

The protection and promotion of human rights is the

foundation of world peace and prosperity. Japan is

determined to support the democratic development of

developing countries and at the same time hopes that the

United Nations will further enhance its activities in the field

of human rights.

As we approach the twenty-first century, it is essential

that the United Nations itself play a role that responds

adequately to the growing expectations of the international

community based on the three pillars to which I have been

referring. Towards that end, reforms that strengthen the

functions of the Organization are necessary. There is a

consensus among the United Nations membership regarding

the importance of the new role envisaged for the

Organization as well as the urgent need for comprehensive

United Nations reform. However, when it comes to

concrete measures for reform, a convergence of views

among Member States is yet to emerge.

With the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations,

we witnessed an increase in the momentum for reform. It

should be the aim of this fifty-first session of the General

Assembly to maintain this momentum so that a general

agreement on the major elements of reform can be

reached before the session ends. The entire United

Nations membership should then make every effort to

reach an agreement on concrete measures to realize

United Nations reform in the near future. If the United

Nations simply engages in repetitious debate and proves

incapable of reforming itself to adapt to the changing

times, its very credibility could be severely undermined.

It is thus incumbent upon the membership as a whole to

be tenacious in its efforts to achieve reform.

Security Council reform, and reforms in

administrative and financial areas and in economic and

social areas comprise the threefold centrepiece of United

Nations reform. I should like to point out the importance,

above all, of carrying out these reforms as a whole in a

balanced manner. For example, even though there may be

a financial crisis, if we were to carry out reforms in that

area alone, separately from reforms in the other two

areas, it would not correspond to the original basic

concept of United Nations reform, which was to seek to

strengthen the functions of the Organization as a whole.

Permit me to present the views of Japan regarding

reforms in these three areas. I should like first of all to

discuss the reform of the Security Council. Inasmuch as

the Security Council bears the primary responsibility for

carrying out the major purpose of the United Nations,

namely, the achievement and maintenance of world peace

and stability, its importance is obvious. As it has

indicated on previous occasions, Japan, with the

endorsement of many other countries, is prepared to

discharge its responsibilities as a permanent member of

the Security Council in accordance with its basic

philosophy of the non-resort to the use of force prohibited

by its Constitution.

Until the reform of the Security Council is realized,

Japan is determined to contribute to the work of the

Security Council for the sake of international peace and

security, and has presented its candidature for non-

permanent membership on the Council in this session of

the General Assembly. Responding to the strong support

and confidence that have already been expressed with

respect to its candidature, Japan will continue to make

every effort so that it can play an active role on the

Security Council.

As I stated earlier, Japan attaches great importance to

development. More than two thirds of United Nations

Member States are developing countries. If the United

Nations is to aim at achieving a world free of poverty and

conflicts, it is crucial that discussions on development be

further promoted within the Organization. In this, the

functions and role of the Economic and Social Council

should be strengthened and the integration of the various

development issues with which the United Nations is

engaged should be ensured.

Japan is the second largest financial contributor to the

United Nations; its assessment for the regular budget has

increased to 15.65 per cent for next year, and is likely to

increase further. Japan will not shirk the tremendous

responsibility it bears in financially supporting the United

Nations. However, with respect to the scale of assessment,

I wish to reiterate that Japan attaches importance not only

to the concept of capacity to pay but also to the

responsibility to pay. Japan also welcomes the endeavours

of the Secretariat towards administrative streamlining and

rationalizing.

Throughout the four decades since it joined the United

Nations Japan has faithfully upheld the purposes and

principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter. It has

consistently attached importance to the United Nations, and

it is proud to be among the countries that have made the

greatest contributions to its overall activities. Disarmament,

initiatives in the area of nuclear non-proliferation, an appeal

for a new strategy on development issues, an active

addressing of global issues, as well as considerable

financial contributions to the United Nations — these are

the issues to which Japan has attached profound importance

in recent years.

I wish to conclude my statement in this general debate

by reemphasizing Japan’s readiness to participate in the

Security Council, which is at the centre of United Nations

activity, as well as to engage more actively and more

constructively in the aforementioned areas of endeavour in

order to discharge its responsibility with regard to world

peace and prosperity.