YouSaid · the spoken record

Keizo Obuchi

lines on the record: 44
first: 1997-09-24
most recent: 1998-09-24
sittings or episodes: 2
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“We the Member States should make utmost efforts to achieve it, so that the United Nations can enter the twenty-first century as such an Organization. The future of the United Nations is in the hands of the Member States. My guiding principle in Japanâs policy management is to be sincere, to be steady and to be courageously prompt. I therefore should like to conclude my remarks by emphasizing my resolution to take leadership in addressing issues of peace, development and reform in a sincere, steady and courageously prompt manner.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Japan strongly urges all countries to make a bold political decision for the strengthening of the United Nations so that we may reach an agreement on the framework of the reform during the present session of the General Assembly. The twenty-first century is just around the corner. It is our duty to preserve and develop the heritage of mankind in the coming century. The late professor, Mr. Yutaka Akino, who gave his life during his mission of peacekeeping in Tajikistan, was one of my close friends. He had the following motto: do not be pushed around by events; take action. Along the same lines, the United Nations should make action a top priority and become a strong Organization equipped with both effectiveness and credibility, squarely tackling all problems.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“This would be in accordance with our basic philosophy of non-resort to the use of force prohibited by our Constitution. We are now in the fifth year since the concrete discussions on the reform of the Security Council started. Points of argument have been exhausted. We are now at a stage where each country should make a political decision. Japan believes that we are able to agree on a package that responds to the interests of the entire international community and to the legitimate concerns of the majority of countries. If we do not have the will to decide and act in order to achieve an agreement on such a package, we will not be able to respond effectively to challenges the international community will face in the coming century.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“In reforming the United Nations to strengthen its functioning, we must promote reforms in three interrelated areas in a balanced manner: reform in the political area, the development area, and the financial area, which supports political and development activities. It is regrettable that even though the chances of materializing reforms increased during last yearâs General Assembly session, discussions on the reform of the Security Council have not developed since then. Under the circumstances facing the international community I mentioned earlier, reforming the Security Council to reinforce its legitimacy and effectiveness is an urgent task. Japan, with the endorsement of many countries, is prepared to assume greater responsibilities as a permanent member of the Security Council.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“18 In addressing issues of peace and development, there is an urgent need to reform the United Nations and to strengthen its functions. Peace and development are two sides of the same coin. At the same time, if the United Nations is to respond effectively to various problems that our international community shoulders, we urgently need to do our best to assure a healthy financial basis. This includes each Member Stateâs sincere implementation of its obligation to pay its assessed contribution. Japanâs assessment will be over 20 per cent, exceeding the sum of that of four permanent members of the Security Council, not including the United States. In this situation, reform in the financial area requires serious attention.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“These include environmental destruction, overpopulation, human rights violations, the exodus of refugees, terrorism, drug-trafficking, international organized crime and global diseases such as AIDS. To cope with these problems, our international community must be united under the concept of protecting the security and dignity of mankind from global threats. Furthermore, citizens, along with Governments, must get together to engage in common undertakings, such as making common rules. In particular, as we mark the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, I should like to point out that efforts against large-scale human rights violations and efforts to ease refugee problems arising from conflicts are also indispensable for preventing conflicts.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“We hope strongly that the coming conference, TICAD II, will benefit from such Asian experiences and provide a good opportunity to use the wisdom and power of the entire international community to assist the development of the African continent. In the post-cold-war transformation of international relations, Japan is actively promoting what we call Eurasian diplomacy. This means redefining relations with countries of the Eurasian continent, including the Russian Federation, the Peopleâs Republic of China, the Republic of Korea and countries in the Silk Road regions of Central Asia and the Caucasus range. This is another example of Japanâs policy of promoting peace and development in tandem. In todayâs world, problems that directly threaten peopleâs daily lives across national borders are becoming increasingly serious.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Its objective is to seek a path to promote the new development strategy in Africa so as to support African countriesâ own nation- building efforts. In this regard, we aim to draw up an agenda for action. Japan also has been making the greatest contributions possible to the stable development of Asia. In the present financial and economic crisis we have taken initiatives to implement measures of support totalling about $43 billion to Asian countries, which is the largest single contribution by any nation in the world. Simultaneously, Japan is making every possible effort, through such measures as stabilizing our financial system, to put our own economy on a recovery track within the next year or two. We believe that the early recovery of our own economy is the best contribution we can make to the economies of Asia and of the world.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“This strategy is based on the philosophy that the international community should make no distinction between donor countries and recipient countries and should tackle the problems of development as a common issue for all. In this regard, this strategy attaches great importance to developing countriesâ playing an active and responsible role in their own development. It also emphasizes positive cooperation based on partnership without distinction between developing and developed countries. These are the guiding principles of the new development strategy. On the basis of these principles, the Second Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD II) will be held in Japan this October as a follow- up to the first Conference, held in 1993.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“During the Tokyo International Conference on Preventive Strategy, which Japan hosted this January, participants underlined the importance of a comprehensive approach in dealing with such problems by coming to grips with various causes of them, including poverty. The development issue is the greatest challenge the world will face in the twenty-first century. In addressing this issue, we have to deal not only with the economic- development problems of the developing countries, but also with the social sides of development, such as human rights and good governance. Japan has been advocating a new development strategy that contains such ideas. We are pleased that the concept was endorsed in 1996 at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and has been gaining support in the United Nations.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“In this regard, we reiterate our call upon nations that have not yet done so to join the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel, adopted in December 1994, so that it may come into force as soon as possible. At the same time, Japan will also make contributions of about $1 million to the United Nations to support security measures for United Nations personnel. We hope many other countries will also make contributions to support United Nations efforts in this field. Some of the basic causes of conflicts are problems of economic and social development. We must pay close attention to them.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“In our efforts towards peace, with civilian staff assuming an increasing role in United Nations activities, including peacekeeping, we observe with regret an increasing number of cases where non-combatants become the targets of violence by belligerents. In July this year, a staff member from Japan, together with staff members from Poland, Tajikistan and Uruguay, fell victim to a 17 despicable criminal act directed at the United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan. The countries concerned and the United Nations need to seriously examine ways to ensure the security of United Nations personnel and of relevant humanitarian-assistance organizations.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“We ask other nations yet to ratify it to do so promptly, so that it may become a universal framework to ban anti-personnel landmines totally. Conflicts give rise to intolerable crimes against humanity, such as genocide. To deter such crimes, it is necessary to establish a permanent international court that punishes such acts as international crimes. Adoption of the agreement in July this year in Rome to establish such a court was an act of historic significance. Japan believes that the blessing and cooperation of the entire international community is indispensable if the court is to produce effective results. That is why we took important initiatives at the Diplomatic Conference. It is our hope that the International Criminal Court will continue to grow and become a universal framework.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Furthermore, to prevent the outbreak and escalation of conflicts, we also need to address the problems of anti- personnel landmines and small arms, including automatic rifles, regarding which we have yet to make sufficient efforts. We intend to continue to play a leading role on these issues. In particular, in the area of anti-personnel landmines we will endeavour to strengthen international cooperation towards early realization of the â€œzero victimâ€ objective, by supporting assistance for victims and the elimination of landmines. We are pleased that 40 countries have now ratified the Convention banning anti- personnel landmines and that it will enter into force on 1 March next year. We are now making efforts for Japanâs earliest possible ratification of this Convention.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Dealing with other weapons of mass destruction, such as biological and chemical weapons, as well as delivery vehicles, such as missiles, is of high importance. The recent missile launch by North Korea, even if it was an attempt to launch a satellite into orbit, poses a serious problem which directly concerns both Japanâs national security and peace and stability in North-East Asia. It also constitutes a challenge to our efforts to prevent the proliferation of delivery vehicles of weapons of mass destruction. I renew my call for North Korea to consider seriously the 15 September statement by the President of the Security Council as a message reflecting the views of the entire international community, and to never repeat such an act.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Also, we welcome such actions as the decision by the British Government in July this year for a significant reduction of their nuclear arsenals, as well as Franceâs decision to dismantle its ground-to-ground missiles. We urge all the nuclear-weapon States to implement sincerely their obligations under article 6 of the NPT, thereby promoting nuclear disarmament even further. Fifthly, to put a cap on nuclear-weapons capability, each nation must positively participate in and reach an early conclusion of negotiations on a fissile material cut-off treaty. During this session of the General Assembly, Japan will take initiatives to promote these five objectives. Needless to say, the promotion of arms control and disarmament should not be limited to the area of nuclear weapons.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Without universal support for the Comprehensive Nuclear- Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), the effectiveness of the nuclear non-proliferation system cannot be maintained. I should like to call on nations that have not yet done so to promptly become parties to this Treaty so as to realize its early effectuation. In the meantime, we should take necessary steps to assure the cessation of nuclear testing. Fourthly, further advancement of nuclear disarmament by nuclear-weapon States is more important than ever in maintaining and strengthening various efforts for nuclear non-proliferation. We hope to see early effectuation of START II and an early launching of negotiations on START III.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The Treaty on the Non- Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) sets the structure for international control of nuclear weapons, with no alternative, and we strongly urge non-parties to accede to this Treaty promptly and without condition. In this context, we highly appreciate Brazilâs accession to the NPT in August this year. Secondly, in order to complement the NPT and ensure nuclear non-proliferation, I should like to underline the need to place strict export controls on equipment, materials and technologies that relate to nuclear weapons and missiles. We urge every nation to engage in serious efforts to prevent any transfer of such materials and technologies. Thirdly, we must prevent any further nuclear testing.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The existing format certainly is not perfect, but there is no feasible, realistic alternative if we are to ensure stability in our international community. No country should be allowed to attempt to set back international efforts towards strengthening the non-proliferation regime. At the same time, to improve the effectiveness of this regime, it is important, together with the efforts by all nations to maintain non- proliferation, to see sincere implementation of nuclear 16 disarmament by nuclear-weapon States. Based on this thinking, we regard the following five points as important. First, the nuclear non-proliferation regime should become more universal.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Today, based on such thinking, I should like to discuss these issues from the perspectives of peace and development and of reform, which is indispensable in promoting the first two. In so doing, I want to elaborate on our thinking and express our determination to play a leading role in fulfilling our responsibilities. I should first like to talk about nuclear non- proliferation, arms control and disarmament, which are essential to maintaining peace. In May this year, India and Pakistan conducted, to our deepest regret, a series of nuclear tests, which are formidable challenges to the nuclear non-proliferation regime. In seeking a world free of nuclear weapons, it is indispensable that we allow no further proliferation and secure a solid basis for the nuclear non-proliferation regime.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Furthermore, it is necessary to deal not only with the weapons of mass destruction, such as nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, but also with such conventional weapons as small arms and anti-personnel landmines. Social instabilities lie at the root of conflicts. This makes it extremely important to deal with development issues. There are also growing global threats, such as environmental destruction and terrorism. The cruel destructive power of terrorism especially threatens the lives and safety of citizens. It is different by nature from conventional armed conflict between nations, but in the post-cold-war world it poses increasingly grave concerns to our security. Our international community should seriously consider ways to effectively cope with these problems and threats.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Today, the possibility of a world-wide conflict has decreased in comparison to the cold-war era, but conflicts arising from such causes as ethnic and religious confrontation are increasing. In dealing with these conflicts, it is more important to focus on how to prevent them rather than on how to solve them once they break out. In this regard, we must first consider the essential issues of arms control and disarmament. The recent nuclear tests of India and Pakistan constitute enormous challenges to the non-proliferation regime. We urgently need to find a way to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, and to strengthen the non-proliferation regime.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“That collapse provided an opportunity to establish a harmonious order based upon the cooperation of the entire international community, rather than the maintenance of peace by a military balance between two super-Powers. However, our international community today is troubled with frequent regional conflicts and challenged by the inseparably connected problem of poverty. Creating a new system to cope effectively with such challenges is the greatest agenda for our international community today. To achieve this objective, we must simultaneously promote three issues: peace and development, which are two sides of the same coin, plus United Nations reforms, which are indispensable in our efforts to achieve the first two.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“I should like to extend my most sincere compliments to you, Sir, Foreign Minister of Uruguay, on your assumption of office as President of the fifty-third session of the General Assembly. I should also like to express my respects to Mr. Hennadiy Udovenko, Deputy of the Supreme Rada of Ukraine, for all his efforts during his tenure as President of the fifty-second session of the General Assembly. How should we build the framework for a new international order in the twenty-first century? This is the question that our international community is facing amidst new situations that were created in the aftermath of the collapse of the cold war, almost a decade ago.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Let us join forces to ensure that the world in the twenty-first century is stable and prosperous. This will require that we greet the twenty-first century with United Nations reforms achieved. I should like to conclude my statement by stressing the profound importance of strengthening the United Nations — the only universal international Organization.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“In addition, disarmament efforts, as well as the regime for the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, must be further strengthened for the sake of world peace and stability. Japan will also emphasize at this session the importance of steady and cumulative efforts to take realistic nuclear disarmament measures, aiming for a world free of nuclear weapons. We will also participate actively in discussions on anti-personnel landmines, the review of the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms and the question of small arms. The twenty-first century will arrive in less than four years. In order to make the next century brighter, the United Nations should reform itself to be ready for the new era. If it is to do so, an agreement on the outline of United Nations reform must be reached this year.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Global warming is a critical issue, with implications for the future of humankind, and its solution will require the efforts of every country, including developing countries. Japan is sparing no effort to ensure the success of this conference and its adoption of a protocol that is meaningful, realistic and equitable, and I would earnestly ask for the cooperation of all participating countries. Next year we shall observe the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I expect the United Nations to further strengthen its role in the areas of human rights and refugee and humanitarian assistance. Japan will also continue to contribute actively in these areas.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We anticipate that concrete proposals will be made at that conference as to how cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity, and the strengthening of the functions of the United Nations through such measures as reform of the Security Council, can contribute to the prevention and early resolution of conflicts in Africa. I am also pleased to announce that next March Japan plans to convene in Tokyo an international conference on the present situation and future prospects of United Nations peacekeeping operations. Japan is also hosting the third session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Kyoto this December to decide on international measures to prevent global warming to be taken after the year 2000.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Since January of this year, thanks to the support of many countries, Japan has been serving its eighth term as a non-permanent member of the Security Council. It has been actively cooperating in United Nations peacekeeping operations and efforts for the prevention and settlement of regional conflicts. Next January, Japan will convene the International Conference on Preventive Strategy, which Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto proposed at the fifty-first session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Setting development on track and eradicating poverty in Africa are necessary for the fundamental solution of the conflicts that frequently occur in that region. Bearing this in mind, Japan has been focusing its efforts on African development issues. At Japan’s initiative, plans are under way to hold the second Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD II) at the 7 ministerial level next year in Tokyo, following a preparatory meeting, also in Tokyo, at the senior-official level in November of this year. We would like to ask the States concerned to cooperate for the success of these conferences and for the achievement of substantive progress in promoting African development. Ever since becoming a Member in 1956, Japan has consistently pursued a foreign policy that attaches importance to the United Nations.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We regard the Secretary-General’s proposals to establish a United Nations development group and to consolidate United Nations offices at the country level to be very worthwhile in terms of increasing efficiency. United Nations reform must not be a euphemism for budget-cutting. From this point of view, Japan, with the support of many States, has been advocating the idea of reinvesting in development programmes the savings that accrue from reforms. We urge that this proposal, which is reflected in the Secretary-General’s reform plan, be quickly implemented. In addition, Japan hopes that the year 2001 will be designated as the International Year of Volunteers in order to encourage more active participation in United Nations activities at the grass-roots level.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We believe it is important that the new philosophy, based on the ownership of developing countries and on a genuine partnership, be widely shared in the United Nations. Towards this end, in July of this year Japan held the Okinawa Conference on Development, and this month co- hosted with the Kingdom of the Netherlands the Conference on the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development/Development Assistance Committee (OECD/DAC) Strategy “Shaping the Twenty- first Century: The Contribution of Development Cooperation”. We are thus exploring ways of promoting and realizing this strategy. Through such efforts by Japan, it is becoming widely recognized that South-South cooperation, fortified with the new dimension of triangular cooperation, is an important means of promoting this strategy.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Without development, the causes of conflicts will not be eliminated, and without peace the conditions for development will not be met. Under its present Constitution, Japan has continued to attach great importance to contributing to international peace through its active involvement in development issues and humanitarian assistance efforts. Involvement in development issues is a matter of priority for my country, and its commitment to the development of developing countries remains unchanged. Japan has been insisting that a “new development strategy”, based on a genuine partnership between developed and developing countries, is particularly necessary in this post-cold-war era. Consideration of the Agenda for Development has concluded recently.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Japan’s assessment is about to reach that of the United States, and it is already almost as great as the assessments of the other four permanent members combined. If Japan’s assessment were to increase further out of proportion, with reform of the Security Council not yet realized, I must say there would be a problem with respect to the fairness of such a situation. Japan strongly hopes that the financial reform of the United Nations will proceed together with reforms in other areas as a whole in a balanced manner, and that agreement on an equitable scale of assessments can be achieved. The third point relates to reform in the area of development. Development and peace are, so to speak, two sides of the same coin.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The Government of Japan is itself currently pursuing drastic reform of its financial structure, with the aim of bringing its financial deficit below 3 per cent of gross domestic product by the year 2003. It is also essential for the United Nations to secure a solid financial basis for itself. In this regard, I would emphasize again that it is the obligation of Member States to pay their assessed contributions in full, and that Member States in arrears should make every effort to eliminate them. It goes without saying that the expenses of the Organization must be apportioned more equitably. As regards the basis for calculating the scale of assessments, Japan has advocated adopting the concept of “responsibility to pay” to complement the present method, which is based on the principle of “capacity to pay”.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Japan strongly urges that we seize this opportunity to decide on at least a framework for Security Council reform and reach an agreement on an outline for the realization of concrete reform by the end of the year. I should like to reiterate that Japan, with the endorsement of many 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. I shall touch next on financial reform. Today a further retrenchment by the United Nations in the area of finance is required, and Japan regards highly the Secretary- General’s efforts towards this end.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“It is with such a reformed and strengthened Security Council that effective measures to resolve, for example, the frequent conflicts in regions such as Africa become possible. It is from this perspective that many States, including my own, are advocating the expansion of both permanent and non-permanent membership. If the reform were to result in an expansion of only the non-permanent membership, the Council’s legitimacy and effectiveness 6 would not be enhanced and genuine reform to adapt to the changing times would not have been accomplished. This year, under the leadership of former General Assembly President Razali, discussions on Security Council reform have gained greater momentum than ever before.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“First, in addition to those States that were originally expected to assume primary responsibility for international peace and security, other States have newly emerged with the capacity and the willingness to play a global role. Secondly, many States have in the meantime become independent, and today they represent a majority in the international community, in which they have become important players. Particularly in the wake of the cold war, the Security Council is expected to play an even greater role in the area of international peace and security. To meet such expectations, it is essential that it be reorganized to adapt to these two changes, thereby enhancing its legitimacy and effectiveness. This is the very essence of Security Council reform.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“It is therefore essential that reform in these three areas be achieved as a whole in a balanced manner in order for the United Nations, the sole universal organization, to respond appropriately to the dramatically changing context of the international community and to be better able to discharge its functions. Now I would like to reiterate Japan’s views on some of the most important points regarding the United Nations reform effort. First, the reform of the Security Council. Needless to say, the international community is vastly different today from what it was 51 years ago, when the United Nations was founded. Broadly speaking, this is reflected in the following two ways.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Japan believes that reforms relating to the Security Council, finance and development are the three pillars of United Nations reform. Today, the Security Council is attentive to the economic and social aspects of the conflicts it seeks to resolve. Moreover, in order to establish a sound financial basis, it is necessary that all the activities of the United Nations, including those in the fields of development and peacekeeping, be rendered more effective. Serious efforts in the area of development are also important for ensuring international peace and security.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“If the United Nations is unable to reform itself to meet the demands of the coming era, but simply engages in an aimless repetition of detailed arguments in which each Member State pursues its own interests, the confidence of the international community in the Organization will be severely undermined. We must be aware that at this moment we are standing at a crucial crossroads. It is the very moment at which we must summon the political will to decide on the outlines of United Nations reform. Japan believes that each Member State should, in a spirit of statesmanship, engage in substantive negotiations, not from the viewpoint of pursuing its own parochial interests but from the genuinely broad perspective of maximizing benefits to the international community as a whole.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We must begin immediately to strengthen the United Nations in this respect and continue our efforts into the future. Japan intends to play the role which is expected of it in the strengthened United Nations. I regard highly the strong initiatives of the Secretary- General, Mr. Kofi Annan, in promoting reform. In particular, his proposals for United Nations reform announced in March and July of this year are intended to enhance the coherence and effectiveness of United Nations activities by strengthening the leadership of the Secretary- General as well as the coordination function in each field, including development and humanitarian affairs; as such, they have Japan’s basic support. We earnestly hope that the reform of the United Nations as a whole will gather momentum through these proposals.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“I say this because the current session is of unprecedented importance in terms of realizing the reform of the United Nations. I should like to recall what the purpose of United Nations reform is. The purpose of reforming the United Nations is, I believe, to strengthen its functions to further enable it to fully accomplish its tasks. As a member of the Security Council, Japan is deeply aware that since the end of the Cold War grave problems of conflicts and poverty have emerged, most frequently and acutely in Africa. By reforming the United Nations, the international community will be better able to solve the problems of peoples in all parts of the world who are suffering due to conflicts and poverty, problems which are especially glaring in Africa.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“I should like at the outset to extend my warmest compliments to His Excellency Mr. Hennadiy Udovenko, Foreign Minister of Ukraine, on his assumption last week of the presidency of the fifty-second session of the General Assembly. Japan will cooperate closely with him for the success of this session. I should also like to pay sincere tribute to His Excellency Mr. Razali Ismail, who, as President of the fifty-first session of the General Assembly, demonstrated active initiative for strengthening the functions of the United Nations through reform. Japan earnestly hopes that Ambassador Razali will continue to contribute his views for the advancement of United Nations reform. 5 This session of the General Assembly will be an “Assembly for reform”.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)