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

STATEMENT BY H.E. MR. Yoshiki MINE

AMBASSADOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF JAPAN

TO THE CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT

THE SEVENTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE STATES PARTIES

TO AMENDED PROTOCOL II 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, 23 November 2005

Mr. President

Distinguished delegates

It is a pleasure to be here today addressing you all on the behalf of the Government of Japan at the Seventh Annual Conference of the Amended Protocol II 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.

Let me extend my warmest congratulations to you Mr. Chairman, on your assumption of the chair of this important meeting. Please be assured of my delegations full support of your guidance. I would also like to thank the secretariat staff for their assistance in organizing this meeting.

Mr. President,

The adoption of Amended Protocol II in 1996 was an immense achievement of the First Review Conference of the CCW. A total of 85 countries have acceded to the Amended Protocol II. This means that six more countries have acceded since last year’s conference. It is our belief that Amended Protocol II is a unique arms control treaty that takes into consideration the security needs of the States Parties, as well as their need to resolve humanitarian problems.

With the firm conviction that a universal ban of anti-personnel mines is necessary to address humanitarian problems caused by landmines, Japan has been actively engaged in diplomatic efforts to encourage non-State Parties to join the Mine Ban Treaty (The Ottawa Convention). Nevertheless, the Amended Protocol II also provides a realistic and practical approach to reducing the humanitarian impact of landmines by obligating States Parties to make mines detectable, install self destruction (SD) mechanisms, as well as prohibiting their transfer.

Recognizing the significance of the Amended Protocol II, we wish that the countries that currently have difficulty acceding to the Ottawa Convention, join the Amended Protocol II as a first step. In this way, they can participate in the global effort to reduce the humanitarian suffering caused by landmines.

Mr. President,

Amended Protocol II has produced the following flow-on effects, which is proof of the validity of the CCW framework. Consequently, the Amended Protocol II itself still continues to have an important role in arms control. Firstly it provided the basis for the amendment of Article 1 of the Framework Convention. Secondly, it is the basis for negotiations in the current “Mines other than Anti-Personnel Mines (MOTAPM)” Working Group. (Concretely, the Coordinator’s Paper and the 30 Nations Proposal, which Japan is a co-sponsor, refers greatly to the text of the Amended Protocol II). Lastly, the Amended Protocol II has become the foundation for the South African proposal and the first stage of the new EU “compliance mechanism” proposal.

Mr. President,

Not only has Japan been actively supportive of diplomatic efforts to eradicate landmines but we have also been providing assistance to mine affected countries. From April 2004 to March 2005, Japan’s support for mine affected countries exceeded 50 million US dollars. Furthermore, to promote as much as possible mine clearance in mine-affected countries, Japan has been initiating joint government, industry and academia research projects to develop anti-personnel mine clearance equipment and detectors.

Bearing in mind the severe social and economic damage that mines wreaks on countries around the world, Japan believes that all the States Parties should respect the aim of the Amended Protocol II and faithfully fulfill their obligations while working towards its universalization.

Finally, Japan would like to welcome the States Parties that have ratified the Protocol since the High Contracting Parties Meeting last year. We further hope the countries that are currently under the ratifying process of the Protocol will complete the process at the earliest possible date.

Thank you