STATEMENT BY H.E.MR. SUMIO TARUI

AMBASSADOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF JAPAN

TO THE CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT

(TRANSPARENCY IN ARMAMENTS)

 

Geneva, 27 February 2007

 

Mr. President,

 

Since my delegation is taking the floor for the first time under your presidency, let me, at the outset, congratulate you, Ambassador March, on your assumption of the presidency of the Conference on Disarmament and assure you of our full cooperation.

 

Mr. President,

 

Enhancing the level of openness and transparency in armaments greatly contributes to building stronger confidence among states, and can lead to the prevention of excessive accumulation of arms and arms races.  From this perspective, Japan attaches particular importance to transparency in armaments (TIA) as a measure for promoting international peace and security.

 

Indeed, it was based on this conviction that Japan, in cooperation with the then European Community, submitted to the 46th UN General Assembly (1991) the resolution entitled “Transparency in Armaments”, which established the United Nations Conventional Arms Register.  Since then, along with its increasing number of participating countries, the Register has been steadily improved through the beneficial discussions at the triennial meetings of the Group of Governmental Experts (GGE).  The growing number of arms transactions recorded with the Register indicates its significance and effectiveness is widely recognized.  Japan, as one of the initiators of this regime, is very pleased to see that it has become well established as one of the key international instruments for ensuring transparency in military matters.  Additionally, last year in the General Assembly the draft resolution (61/77) endorsing the report of the UN Secretary-General, including the recommendations contained in the GGE’s consensus report, was adopted with extensive support from the UN member states.  We must continue to strive for the universalization of the UN Conventional Arms Register, and Japan will spare no effort to that end.

 

Mr. President,

 

In the focused debates on TIA last year, my delegation made reference to the significant and substantial relationship between the UN Conventional Arms Register and the efforts to create an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) within the UN framework.  Ensuring the responsible transfer of weapons through an ATT and duly registering those transfers through the UN Arms Register would further improve the reliability of the Register itself.  In this light, the ATT and the UN Arms Register are closely connected as measures for enhancing international confidence-building.  Based on the overwhelming number of countries that adopted the draft resolution on ATT in the UN General Assembly last year, a letter by the Secretary General has already been dispatched by the UN Secretariat seeking the views of each country on this matter.  For the purpose of facilitating the process of our endeavors, Japan strongly encourages each country to submit to the UN their position and views on an ATT.  In this connection, we would like each country when formulating their report to the UN Secretariat to make reference, as a possible useful guide, to the letter recently sent by the sponsors of the resolution.  

 

Mr. President,

 

In the deliberations last year my delegation also drew the attention of the Conference to the necessity of examining tangible measures in the field of TIA within this forum.  It is my delegations belief that discussions on measures to enhance TIA that lead to an environment conducive to the promotion of disarmament are obviously an important responsibility of the CD.  Complementing the efforts that have been taking place in other fora and further improving global transparency in armaments is one of our essential undertakings.  Japan is hopeful about, and open to, any proposal that will contribute to the attainment of this objective.

 

Finally allow me to conclude by saying that my delegation believes we should commence an earnest examination into our previous proposals of, namely: (1) initiating discussions to identify issues that require further action in the field of TIA, and (2) developing a feedback mechanism concerning the actual accomplishments and activities on TIA between the CD and other fora.

 

I thank you, Mr. President.