STATEMENT BY H.E. MR. YOSHIKI MINE

AMBASSADOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF JAPAN

TO THE CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT

THE 12^th GROUP OF GOVERNMENTAL EXPERTS MEETING

OF THE STATES PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON PROHIBITIONS OR

RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF CERTAIN CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS WHICH

MAY BE DEEMED TO BE EXCESSIVELY INJURIOUS OR TO HAVE

INDISCRIMINATE EFFECTS

Geneva, 14 November 2005

Mr. Chairman,

First, let me extend my warmest congratulations to you, on your assumption of the Chairmanship of this Government Experts Meeting to the CCW. Please be assured of my delegations full support of your guidance, which we are sure, will lead to the successful outcome of this meeting. I would also like to thank the secretariat staff for their assistance in organizing this meeting.

Mr. Chairman,

Japan has continually asserted that the international community should take on greater responsibility in relation to the humanitarian and socio-economic problems caused by mines other than anti-personnel mines (MOTAPM). Taking this into consideration, we believe that the CCW framework strikes just the right balance between military requirements and humanitarian concerns.

The issue of MOTAPM has been continually discussed for more than four years in the Government Experts Meeting since its establishment out of the Second Review　Conference in 2001. Already two years have passed since the last adoption of a Protocol out of the CCW framework. Therefore, Japan believes that the time has come for a new Protocol on MOTAPM to be produced.

We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the efforts of the Coordinator on MOTAPM, including producing the Coordinator’s paper, which has become the basis of discussions, as well as organizing the individual consultations with relevant countries. The latest Coordinator’s paper, which is based on the various positions put forward by the States Parties in the previous meetings, is exceptionally beneficial. To make a new protocol on MOTAPM effective, the participation by the main mine producing countries is an important prerequisite. Japan is confident that these countries will participate positively and fully in the discussions towards creating a new protocol based on the Coordinator’s paper.

Through the discussions up until now, it has become clear that most issues including technical aspects have been resolved and consensus has been formed. Therefore, discussions hereafter should first focus on the two main issues, namely, “detectability” and “active life” of MOTAPM which relates to the addition of self-destruction functions to MOTAPM.

Also, since the nature of damage caused by anti-personnel mines and MOTAPM is different, Japan considers it important from the defense perspective to make an exception for the incorporation of self-destruction functions into MOTAPM in “the perimeter marked area”. (Of course, self-destruction function must be equipped to all remotely delivered mines.)

However, from the perspective of finding a solution to humanitarian problems caused by MOTAPM, it is undesirable that mines other than anti-personnel mines do not possess either detectability or self-destruction functions. Therefore, Japan believes the thorough addition of detectability is extremely important for the purpose of mine clearance activities.

Mr. Chairman,

In order to carry out efficient discussions with the aim of gaining substantial results, we should not ignore the developments through our discussion up until now. The areas that have almost gained consensus should be fixed immediately and clearly. The few remaining areas where opinion has not yet achieved convergence must be focused upon, considering concrete humanitarian damage caused by MOTAPM. In this manner, we can accelerate our work.

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Mr. Chairman,

Explosive Remnants of War are also a great source of humanitarian suffering. Many countries around the world still suffer from unexploded ordinance, even decades after the end of hostilities. The CCW also addresses this issue but there are still some areas that need clarification. In the last meeting, the discussions during the international humanitarian law session, which also included the participation of legal experts, produced great progress. In this meeting as well, we hope to gain the active input from the States Parties that did not get the chance to speak during the last meeting. We further hope that we can make a good report to the State Parties Meeting on this subject. The examination into the implementation of international humanitarian laws relating to the use of cluster bombs, with the participation of legal experts, will be valuable in promoting the exchange of information between the States Parties. The Three Step Approach is useful for fully grasping the actual issues at hand. In order to resolve the problems properly, these steps should be steadily gone through, one by one.

Mr. Chairman,

I would like to emphasize the following important points in relation to the implementation of a compliance mechanism. Firstly, a compliance mechanism would be effective in guaranteeing treaty compliance. Secondly, with sufficient consideration given to sovereignty, the objective of a compliance mechanism should be limited to the non-compliance of the convention and protocol obligations applicable to all State Parties. Lastly, in relation to the State Parties to the convention all points regarding compliance mechanism should function equally.

The South African proposal based on the Amended Protocol II reflects all previously stated points. We would like to point out that consensus on the South African proposal has been emerging though the discussion up until now.

Thank you.