STATEMENT BY H.E. DR. KUNIKO INOGUCHI
AMBASSADOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF JAPAN
TO THE CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT
Geneva, 12th September 2002
Mr. President,
Distinguished delegates,
Allow me at the outset, Mr. President, to express my utmost appreciation for your strong and effective leadership in bringing this year’s annual session of the Conference to an end in a most efficient manner. I would also like to congratulate the three distinguished ambassadors, who were appointed as Special Coordinators on procedural issues, Ambassador Eui-Yong Chung of the Republic of Korea, Ambassador Dimiter Tzantchev of Bulgaria and Ambassador Prasad Kariyawasam of Sri Lanka, on the fulfillment of their designated tasks.
Furthermore, Japan would like to offer its congratulations to Switzerland, as the 190th country to join the United Nations. I am confident that the function of this important international organization will be further enhanced by this historical step, taken by a country which has already been making enormous contributions to international peace and security, as well as to world economic and social development.
Mr. President,
I have asked for the floor to reaffirm the solidarity of my country and its people with the United States of America in its fight against terrorism. I would also like to present a very brief observation regarding the relevance of our institution, the Conference on Disarmament, to the current reality, including the growing threat of terrorism that is a predicament, not only of one country, but of the entire international community.
The attacks of September 11 affected many innocent citizens, including twenty-four Japanese citizens who happened to be working in the midst of a globalised economy. The reality of these attacks is much too difficult and irrational for bereaved families to comprehend or accept. However, many factors underlie this incident, not only the existence of terrorists, but also more structural problems of the current world. There are international conflicts to be resolved. There are problems of poverty, under-development, education, etc. The recent World Summit held in Johannesburg addressed some of these issues and agreed on a significant plan of action.
I would like to stress that there is also the problem of the availability of arms. The CD can only become relevant to the current reality once it has made a difference in this area. In fact, this year has been a significant year in disarmament and arms control. The Moscow Treaty was a major bilateral achievement. A group of countries, the G8, also took an important initiative to prevent the proliferation of sensitive technology and material related to weapons of mass destruction. There have been many important regional initiatives. All that is lacking now is progress in multilateral disarmament, progress that is supposed to be made in the Conference on Disarmament. While it is not an easy task for all States to agree on a disarmament step which will affect the national security interests of respective countries, a multilateral achievement, if made, will have a far-reaching impact.
I do not think the CD has just wasted another year. I believe this year has seen the development of a strong collective will to make progress in this unique multilateral disarmament body. I have been particularly encouraged by the cross-group effort made by the five distinguished ambassadors. The CD still, however, remains silent, unable to move forward in the new international security environment.
Mr. President,
I am confident that, as the President with the longest tenure, you will conduct useful consultations, along with the distinguished ambassador of India, Ambasador Rakesh Sood, during the inter-sessional period in order to enable us to commence next year’s session with a smooth agreement on a program of work. I assure you the continued full cooperation and support of my delegation in your pursuit of this task.
Thank you.