YouSaid · the spoken record

Owada

lines on the record: 494
first: 1994-12-16
most recent: 1998-09-29
sittings or episodes: 57
sources: un-security-council

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

“I wish to conclude my intervention by reverting to the most fundamental point that must be constantly kept in mind - namely, that the problem of refugees and other humanitarian crises can only be eradicated through attacking the underlying root problems. It is therefore necessary for the international community, and especially for the Security Council, to tackle these situations as an organic and comprehensive whole and to take a holistic approach to the conflict through efforts to bring about a ceasefire, ensuring strict observance of such a ceasefire and through engaging already at an early stage in rehabilitation and reintegration of the people involved.”
1998-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3932 (1998) · source
“Secondly, the actual situation on the ground must be such that under this mandate the mission of protection may realistically be expected to be accomplished through the means offered. Thirdly, the operation must be equipped with the necessary human and material resources to accomplish the mission. Lastly, the Security Council must closely monitor the situation so that the operation can adapt to the rapidly changing situation on the ground. There are many more issues which I have not touched upon today but which need to be addressed in this area from the viewpoint of how to ensure the security of humanitarian efforts.”
1998-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3932 (1998) · source
“Against threats of a military nature, armed protection by military organizations may have to be considered as an option, although the involvement of armed force for the purpose of such protection can be counter-productive. The Security Council, in deciding to provide assistance to such humanitarian relief activities, should carefully weigh this factor. It is the considered View of my delegation that the following conditions should be met when United Nations peacekeeping forces are to be involved as an instrument for the protection of humanitarian efforts. First, the mandate of such an operation must be clearly defined and its terms of reference precisely specified.”
1998-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3932 (1998) · source
“The strict adherence of humanitarian organizations to the recognized principles of humanitarian assistance continues to be essential for ensuring the security of humanitarian operations. For this reason, my delegation is of the View that humanitarian operations should as much as possible avoid relying on forces to protect their activities. In reality, however, there has in recent years been a trend for a humanitarian operation itself to become the target of an armed attack, making the provision of armed protection indispensable. Even in this situation, however, such protection should be commensurate with the potential threat. Against threats from bandits, protection by civilian police could be more effective.”
1998-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3932 (1998) · source
“Japan reiterates its commitment to make contributions of about $1 million to the United Nations to support security measures for United Nations personnel, and calls upon other States to contribute to the Trust Fund that was formalized in June for that purpose. My delegation would also like to suggest that the Council take into account in its future actions the code of conduct for organizations participating in humanitarian operations, developed by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Taking measures to protect humanitarian operations from existing security risks is another important task.”
1998-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3932 (1998) · source
“On this score, my delegation expresses its full support to the delegation of the United States, the coordinator of the working group on the security of refugee camps, in achieving effective and practical results. My delegation, as the coordinator of the working group on illicit arms flows, expresses its own determination to achieve concrete results in this area, taking into consideration the views expressed at the ministerial meeting of the Council held just last week. The appropriate training of humanitarian personnel and the adherence of humanitarian organizations to the principle of strict impartiality are other factors which need to be addressed in order to minimize the security risk on the ground. Japan welcomes the development of the security training package by the United Nations Security Coordinator in collaboration with UNHCR.”
1998-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3932 (1998) · source
“The third aspect concerns a number of problems which have to be addressed at the practical level in order to enhance the security of refugees, as well as humanitarian personnel. We must first of all consider how to minimize the security risks to such personnel on the ground. Ensuring the neutrality and security of refugee camps by such means as separating combatants and civilians is, in the view of Japan, a complicated but essential task which has to be implemented with decisive action. Stemming the illicit flow of arms to and in Africa would also significantly improve the security of personnel. Tackling these issues was recommended in the report of the Secretary-General on peace and development in Africa.”
1998-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3932 (1998) · source
“Under the Statute of this Court, which was adopted in July this year, attacks against humanitarian personnel constitute war crimes which would come under the jurisdiction of the Court. We must not ignore the fact that, even with the establishment of the International Criminal Court, the primary responsibility for prosecuting the perpetrators of international humanitarian law lies with Member States. The importance of the fight against the culture of impunity at the national level through the prosecution of perpetrators, therefore, should be emphasized in the advocacy activities of various organizations, as well as in any future actions of the Security Council on this issue.”
1998-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3932 (1998) · source
“Here I should like to propose that the Council consider the possibility of requesting the Secretary-General to conduct a thorough study of this problem, including the possibility of a comprehensive convention covering all aspects of humanitarian assistance in the context of the changing characteristics of today's conflicts. In the meantime, however, as one of the first countries to become party to the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel, Japan calls upon all Member States to join it as soon as possible. Ensuring a more effective implementation of international humanitarian law is another critical dimension of the legal aspect of the issue. In this context, I wish to draw the attention of the Council to the significance of the establishment of the International Criminal Court.”
1998-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3932 (1998) · source
“The Security Council, for its part, can strongly support those efforts by urging Member States to respond positively to them and to cooperate with them. It can also facilitate the process by requesting the Secretary-General to promote cooperation through more effective measures, for example through the use of his special representatives and envoys for such purposes. With respect to the second aspect of the issue, the adequacy of existing international instruments in providing protection for humanitarian personnel is a problem we should address in a more serious manner.”
1998-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3932 (1998) · source
“The dissemination of knowledge and understanding of basic human rights and humanitarian principles, including the right of refugees and other victims of war to live and to have access to basic materials, is the most fundamental deterrent against such situations. The international community, including bodies within the United Nations system such as the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the United Nations Children's Fund, as well as other humanitarian organizations such as the ICRC, should redouble in a coordinated manner its advocacy efforts, especially in regions of potential conflict.”
1998-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3932 (1998) · source
“The third aspect is in the area of practical measures for protection. This includes such practical matters as measures aimed at minimizing security risks and those aimed at remedying any existing security risks. As for the first aspect, the report of the Secretary- General correctly points out that the advocacy of humanitarian principles is critically important in avoiding extreme situations where a humanitarian operation itself is seen as a hostile act by one or the other warring party. When tensions stemming from ethnic, religious or other rivalries reach the level of conflicts of mutual annihilation, it is impossible for humanitarian organizations to conduct their operations without provoking hostile action against them from one side or the other.”
1998-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3932 (1998) · source
“An attempt to annihilate certain social groups in opposition - whether ethnic, religious or otherwise - sometimes becomes the very purpose of the conflict and thus results in total disregard for human rights. Under such circumstances, the logic that those who give assistance to the enemy make themselves the target of attack can come to prevail. The second aspect is that of the legal framework for protection. This concerns the adequacy of international instruments in protecting humanitarian personnel. Among the most important to be discussed in this regard is the question of implementation of such instruments by the international community through strict application of relevant rules of law, including the prosecution of those who violate them. This would send a clear signal by the international community not to allow a culture of impunity.”
1998-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3932 (1998) · source
“Based on the discussions we had in this Council last May, as well as the discussions of the General Assembly, which led to its resolution 52/167, together with the report of the First Periodical Meeting on International Humanitarian Law, convened by the Government of Switzerland in January at Geneva, which discussed this issue in depth, and also the report of the Secretary-General before us today, I believe that the problem may be considered in the following three major aspects. First is the aspect of dissemination of awareness and advocacy of the problem. The lack of respect for basic human rights and international humanitarian law among people in conflict-affected areas, including the leaders of warring parties, has resulted in disregard among warring factions for the basic principles on which those humanitarian operations are based.”
1998-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3932 (1998) · source
“Unfortunately, that has not been the case. From many areas affected by conflict - Afghanistan, Angola, Burundi, the northern Caucasus, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kosovo, Rwanda, Sudan and Tajikistan - we have continued to receive tragic reports of humanitarian personnel being attacked, abducted or murdered, and humanitarian supplies looted. The need for the international community to cope with this situation is clearly ongoing and urgent. It is up to the Security Council, in discharging its responsibilities for the maintenance of international peace and security, to take action in that effort. The issue of the protection of humanitarian assistance in conflict situations is a complex and multidimensional one.”
1998-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3932 (1998) · source
“More than a year has passed since the Security Council held extensive discussions and issued a presidential statement on the agenda item we are discussing today. We were very much aware then, as we are now, that it is necessary for humanitarian organizations - those within the United Nations system as well as others, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) - to conduct their operations on the ground under difficult and dangerous circumstances. Thus, we called upon all parties concerned to ensure the safety and security of those personnel who are dedicated to saving the lives of people in areas of conflict. It was our hope then that there would be no more incidents where the lives of such personnel were threatened, aid goods and material looted, or entire humanitarian operations jeopardized.”
1998-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3932 (1998) · source
“It is providing support for the peace process, which, it is hoped, will engender confidence for the future and a sense of security among the local population, especially in the Gali district, to which most of the refugees must return once peace is restored. My delegation will therefore vote in favour of the draft resolution now before us, which purports to extend the mandate of UNOMIG for another six months.”
1998-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3912 (1998) · source
“If parties wish the presence of such international personnel to be maintained, the parties themselves must first of all take all necessary measures in order to ensure their security and safety. So far as the security of UNOMIG is concerned, my delegation welcomes the intention of the Secretary- General to keep this issue under constant review. The establishment of a self-protection unit, which has previously been suggested by the Secretary-General, is most welcome in this respect and should be realized with the consent of both parties as soon as possible. The situation surrounding UN OMIG is fraught with numerous difficulties. Nevertheless, my delegation fully shares the View of the Secretary-General that the presence of UNOMIG continues to be a stabilizing factor in the area.”
1998-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3912 (1998) · source
“In his recent report, the Secretary-General has condemned the attacks against the peacekeepers of the United Nations and of the Commonwealth of Independent States in Georgia. Japan, as a country which recently suffered a serious loss in the tragic death of a political officer of Japanese nationality working in the United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan, fully shares and strongly supports this position of the Secretary-General and unequivocally condemns such attacks. Japan wishes to stress emphatically that the security and safety of international personnel, including humanitarian aid workers on the ground, is a problem of utmost urgency that requires the most serious attention of this Council and of the United Nations as a whole.”
1998-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3912 (1998) · source
“Despite those many valuable efforts, the current state of the peace process is far from satisfactory. My delegation is especially concerned about the resumption of hostilities in May of this year, which again created a large number of refugees. My delegation calls upon both the Georgian side and the Abkhaz side to take a constructive attitude and demonstrate the political will to rapidly promote the peace process and facilitate the return of refugees. In this regard, my delegation stresses the importance of the meeting of the parties held in Geneva last week. Although at that meeting the parties were unable to achieve a breakthrough, my delegation hopes that both parties will remain actively engaged in this negotiation machinery and that a comprehensive political settlement will be reached.”
1998-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3912 (1998) · source
“At the outset, my delegation wishes to offer to Mr. Irakli Menagarishvili, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Georgia, a cordial welcome to this meeting of the Security Council. My delegation wishes to express, in the name of the Government of Japan, its appreciation to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Liviu Bota, and to all the men and women working for the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) for their efforts to promote the peace process in Abkhazia, Georgia. My delegation also commends the various efforts to assist in the peace process made by the Russian Federation in its capacity as facilitator, by the group of Friends of the Secretary-General and by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.”
1998-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3912 (1998) · source
“I should like to close by expressing the deep appreciation of my Government to all the men and women working for UNPREDEP for their efforts and dedication in carrying out their important mission.”
1998-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3911 (1998) · source
“The authorities in Belgrade must cease all actions by the security forces which affect the civilian population. They must enable unimpeded international monitoring in Kosovo and facilitate the return of refugees and displaced persons to their homes. They must also make substantial progress in the dialogue with the Kosovo Albanian leadership. At the same time, the Kosovo Albanians - who also share the responsibility for the immediate cessation of hostilities - must make very clear their rejection of Violence and acts of terrorism. As is mentioned in the London statement, a political dialogue is unlikely to take root if Violence continues to be espoused by members of the Kosovo Albanian community.”
1998-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3911 (1998) · source
“The Government of Japan is of the View that the effective prevention of the influx of weapons and armed personnel to Kosovo Albanians is as important as pressure on the authorities in Belgrade in order to stop the violence in Kosovo. My delegation therefore fully supports the recommendation of the Secretary-General to increase the strength of UNPREDEP. For these reasons, my delegation will vote in favour of the draft resolution now before us, which purports to enable UNPREDEP to further contribute to the maintenance of peace and stability in the region. I should like to take this opportunity to reiterate the basic position of my Government concerning the Kosovo crisis, which is so clearly reflected in the statement on Kosovo issued in London by the Foreign Ministers of the Contact Group countries, Canada and Japan on 12 June of this year.”
1998-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3911 (1998) · source
“The United Nations Preventive Deployment Force (UNPREDEP) has so far achieved impressive success in preventing the spillover of conflicts elsewhere in the region into the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. However, the current situation in Kosovo raises serious concern in terms of peace and security in the region, including Macedonia. My delegation therefore welcomes the recommendation of the Secretary-General to extend the mandate of UNPREDEP after 31 August of this year for an additional six months, primarily because of the situation in neighbouring Kosovo. My delegation also considers that UNPREDEP, with its increased strength, will have sufficient capability to play a significant role in a comprehensive regime to monitor the implementation of the arms embargo set out by Security Council resolution 1160 (1998).”
1998-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3911 (1998) · source
“It is high time that each of the parties realized that a sustainable peace in an environment of security can be built only on the basis of a common spirit of reconciliation and coexistence. Japan will be happy to actively participate in any effort to achieve this goal in a revitalized peace process.”
1998-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3900 (1998) · source
“Whatever we do in the context of the United Nations should be geared towards promoting and expediting the peace process in the Middle East. Our reaction to the situation would have to be carefully weighed from the viewpoint of what is going to be constructive for the peace process, as against what is not going to be constructive. In taking action in the United Nations, we should be guided by the yardstick as to whether the action is conducive to achieving our goal in the Middle East peace process. It is my sincere wish that a new, favourable turn of events in the present situation in the Middle East, to be realized on the basis only of a common conviction of the parties involved that peace is indispensable to the survival of all the nations in the region, will come to prevail through mutual concessions and reciprocal sacrifices.”
1998-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3900 (1998) · source
“It is all the more regrettable that my delegation has to repeat these same words today after more than one year has elapsed, while in the meantime the atmosphere surrounding the parties, in terms of their mutual trust and confidence, has further been deteriorated and poisoned. The delegation of Japan believes that the open debate on the situation in the Middle East being held today serves a useful purpose to the extent that the grave concern of the international community over the present developments surrounding the Palestinian situation has to register unequivocally in the minds of the parties involved. At the same time, however, we in the international community have to be on our guard not to let the present precarious situation deteriorate into one which could get out of our control.”
1998-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3900 (1998) · source
“As my delegation stated in the formal meeting of the Security Council on 5 March 1997 on the situation in the occupied Arab territories, "There is a very real danger that the Israeli decision could lead to a crisis in which the erosion of the process of peace might result. If that should take place, the resulting [loss of mutual confidence] could destroy the very structure for peace in the Middle East, a structure so assiduously built up over the years since Camp David, Madrid and Oslo." [S/PV.3745, p. 16] While this remark was made in the context of a controversy surrounding the construction of a new settlement in West Jerusalem, there is a striking similarity between the situation described in that statement and the present situation.”
1998-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3900 (1998) · source
“This is the primary reason that has prompted Japan to persistently call for maximum self-restraint by all parties concerned. Unfortunately, there are too many examples of this kind in the history of this troubled region, where failure to exercise self-restraint led to the deterioration of the situation through a loss of mutual confidence. It is of primary importance that the parties concerned summon their courage and wisdom to take concrete steps to implement the commitments they have already made in Madrid, in Oslo and thereafter. It is undeniable that the final key to success in the peace process lies with the parties themselves.”
1998-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3900 (1998) · source
“The previous decision of the Government of Israel, taken last year, to construct settlements in J ebel Abu Ghneim, or Har Homa, in East Jerusalem, was just such an example of unwise provocation. We in Japan deeply regret that another such example is now added in the form of an extension of Jerusalem's municipal authority. The repeated call of the Government of Japan on Israel has been based on its firm conviction that mutual trust among the parties directly involved is an indispensable premise for any substantive progress in the peace process. In the absence of an essential level of trust between the parties involved, no compromise proposal, however balanced and reasonable it may be, can be expected to command acceptance by both parties.”
1998-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3900 (1998) · source
“That statement contains the following two essential messages: first, that the Government of Japan, having ardently and repeatedly called upon both the Israelis and the Palestinians to engage in constructive efforts to facilitate the peace process, expresses its regret over this decision taken by the Government of Israel, as it is expected to cast a negative effect on the fragile peace process; and secondly, that the Government of Japan will keep a close watch, with great attention, on how the Government of Israel is going to deal with the implementation of this decision. The Government of Japan has consistently been calling upon the Government of Israel not to take unilateral action that could irreparably poison the atmosphere of mutual trust, which is so essential to progress in the peace process.”
1998-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3900 (1998) · source
“What concerns us in the international community is that this unilateral action could lead to a crisis of confidence and reduce to naught the precious mutual trust that has been built by the serious efforts of the parties involved over the years, thus risking the destruction of the very basis on which the peace process entirely depends. Faced with this new, controversial development brought about by a unilateral action by the Government of Israel, the Government of Japan had to express its concern in the form of an official statement by the Press Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 23 June 1998.”
1998-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3900 (1998) · source
“It is true that the Government of Israel contends that the plan to strengthen Jerusalem is non-political in nature, deals only with municipal and administrative issues and does not contradict in any way the provisions of the peace process as achieved in the agreement signed between the parties, to which Israel strictly adheres. However, apart from the fundamental point that this position is based on a unilateral interpretation of a unilateral action, which other parties may not accept, it misses one essential aspect of the whole present crisis.”
1998-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3900 (1998) · source
“The impasse in the peace process, not only on the Palestinian track but on all the tracks, could reduce to naught the precious mutual trust that has been built by the assiduous efforts of the parties involved over the years." [Ofi'icial Records of the General Assembly, F ifty-second Session, Plenary Meetings, 60th meeting, p. 24] My delegation has to state with great regret that this danger is now becoming real. The recent decision taken by the Government of Israel to approve the plan to strengthen Jerusalem by extending its municipal boundaries should be looked at in the light of this background.”
1998-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3900 (1998) · source
“Japan is deeply concerned about the present situation in the Middle East. In the face of a total lack of substantive progress in the peace process since the beginning of 1997, the sense of frustration which has come to prevail in the entire region is now mounting to a dangerous level. On 3 December of last year, my delegation stated in the General Assembly debate on the situation in the Middle East, "Looking at these worrying developments, Japan is profoundly disturbed by the serious setback with which the Madrid process, launched in 1991 amid the hope of the international community, and with its blessing, is being threatened. The danger will be real if the present precarious situation surrounding the Palestinian track is not adequately addressed.”
1998-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3900 (1998) · source
“Let me conclude by expressing my Governments appreciation to such international organizations as the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UNICEF, UNHCR, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) and ICRC, as well as numerous non-governmental organizations, for their tireless efforts to protect children in situations of armed conflict and to promote their welfare. In closing, I wish to stress once again the importance of the mission that Mr. Otunnu and his staff are undertaking and to express my sincere wish that Mr. Otunnu will succeed in giving tangible hope to those children currently living in despair. We in the international community must spare no effort to ensure the right of children everywhere to live in peace, for it is on children that our future depends.”
1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3896 (1998) · source
“General Assembly resolution 51/242 prescribes that foodstuffs, medicines and medical supplies should be exempted from the United Nations sanctions regimes and that the sanctions committees should give priority to handling applications for the supply of humanitarian goods for the civilian population. The efforts to promote the elaboration of sanctions in such a way as to focus specifically on the targeted regime without producing negative effects on the civilian population, including innocent children, should be further pursued. Japan intends to be actively involved in this process.”
1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3896 (1998) · source
“In the area of demining and victim assistance, my Government announced last year its contribution of 10 billion yen to be disbursed over the next five years, and I sincerely hope that this will have a positive effect on a reduction in the number of children who fall victim to landmines, as well as on the rehabilitation and social reintegration of child victims. Another important aspect of the problems involved is the unintended adverse consequences of sanctions on the civilian population, especially on its most vulnerable sectors, such as children.”
1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3896 (1998) · source
“In view of the cardinal importance of saving children from the scourge of armed conflicts and other hazardous environments, the Government of Japan has been extending cooperation through bilateral assistance, grants for small-scale grass-roots projects and support for non- governmental organization activities that aim to provide educational opportunities and improve the health and nutrition of children affected by armed conflicts. It has also extended and will continue to extend such cooperation through relevant international organizations, including the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).”
1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3896 (1998) · source
“As a country which signed in December 1997 the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti- Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction and is currently working toward its ratification, Japan specifically urges that the current consultations at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva make further progress towards the early commencement of negotiations for a treaty to ban the export of all landmines.”
1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3896 (1998) · source
“Japan is participating in the working group for the addition to this effect of an optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict. Japan is also deeply concerned about the plight of children who have fallen victim to anti-personnel landmines. In order for our children in the twenty-first century to live free from the fear of landmines, we in Japan have been promoting a "zero-victim programme", aimed at enhancing demining activities, providing assistance to mine victims and seeking a universal and effective ban on landmines.”
1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3896 (1998) · source
“In many recent intra-State conflicts and civil war situations in Africa and elsewhere, children in their early teens, who under normal circumstances should be enjoying their time on the playground, have often been seen on the battleground engaged in killing their opposite numbers with machine guns and other lethal weapons. Japan urges all parties to armed conflicts to strictly observe article 38 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the relevant provisions of the Geneva Conventions prohibiting children under 15 years of age from being used as soldiers. Japan is convinced that we should go further and pursue the goal that no child under the age of 18 will be recruited and used in armed conflict.”
1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3896 (1998) · source
“Otunnu and his office, the Government of Japan intends to contribute $100,000 to support the start of this very important office of Children and Armed Conflict. Furthermore, I should like to state that we in Japan are willing to host, in cooperation with the office of Mr. Otunnu and other relevant United Nations organizations and agencies, a public international symposium in Tokyo on the issue of children in armed conflict in the context of situations in our part of the world. The involvement of child soldiers in armed conflicts is an issue which particularly demands our urgent attention.”
1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3896 (1998) · source
“However, the success of his work requires more than his personal efforts. It is essential that the United Nations Children's Fund, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and all other relevant United Nations bodies and specialized agencies, as well as non- governmental organizations, extend to him their full support and cooperation. It is essential also that international bodies working in this area coordinate their own efforts on behalf of children with those of this new office. On that understanding, I am happy to announce at this time that in recognition of the importance of this mission carried out by Mr.”
1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3896 (1998) · source
“He has been successful in drawing our attention to the most difficult situations that children in armed conflicts are encountering in such places as Sudan and Sierra Leone. His responsibilities for raising the awareness of society on this question, promoting the public dissemination of information about the plight of children and offering ways and means to combat the problem are extremely important. The inspiring statement that we have just heard from him points to the critical importance that we have to attach to this problem. The concrete suggestions he made are worthy of careful consideration on the part of all of us. I sincerely hope that he will be eminently successful in playing this critical role of advocacy, which will help expedite the efforts of the United Nations system to cope with this urgent problem.”
1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3896 (1998) · source
“Children who have been traumatized by armed conflicts frequently suffer lasting and debilitating economic, social and psychological effects, even when their lives are spared and no physical harm is inflicted. Those children require compassionate, skilled and ongoing care, and the international community has to see to it that such care is given, because it is to children that the task of post- conflict nation-building will fall. I wish to offer the high tribute of the Government of Japan to the dedication and commitment of Mr. Olara Otunnu, who has recognized the importance of this task and accepted the responsibility of serving as Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict.”
1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3896 (1998) · source
“In addressing the issue of children in armed conflict, the Council should demonstrate its determination to place the issue at the centre of its strategy in conflict prevention and post-conflict peace-building, to be tackled in a comprehensive manner. The Government of Japan has long stressed that children, who are our society's hope for the future and thus its most precious resource, are also its most vulnerable elements. The situation in which children in many parts of the world are being deprived of their right to grow up and live in a peaceful society where they are entitled to a life free from persecution and violence must be addressed as an issue of utmost importance to all members of the international community.”
1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3896 (1998) · source
“With the shift in recent years in the nature of armed conflicts from inter-State to intra-State fighting, the number of children involved in and falling victim to armed conflicts has increased dramatically. With the proliferation of small arms in the hands of groups engaged in intra-State fighting, the character of such armed conflicts has also drastically changed, inflicting devastating harm upon innocent civilians, and especially children. It is now incumbent upon the international community to make serious efforts to cope with this problem. In addition to addressing this intolerable humanitarian situation, we have to pay special attention to its long-term negative implications for the future generations of our society, as well as to its immediate impact upon the process of post-conflict peace-building.”
1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3896 (1998) · source
“This meeting of the Security Council has been convened expressly to address the issue of children in armed conflict. As such, it is unprecedented in the history of the Security Council. That the Council has felt it necessary to address this issue is testimony to a tragic situation, in which so many children are falling victim to armed conflicts in many parts of the world today. The members of the Council understand that this situation has profound implications for the problem of the maintenance of international peace and security, and thus demands the urgent attention of the Council. I should like to commend you, Mr. President, for your initiative on this important matter.”
1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3896 (1998) · source