Statement by H.E. Mr. Akio Suda

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Head of the Delegation of Japan

to the Conference on Disarmament

at the Meeting of the States Parties

to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production

and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction (BWC)

General Statement

Geneva, 7 December 2009

Mr. Chairman,

At the outset, allow me to congratulate you, Ambassador Marius Grinius, for your leadership and dedication as the Chair of the 2009 meetings of the BWC. Let me assure you of the full support and cooperation by my delegation. I would also like to congratulate Ambassador Carlos Portales for his election to the Chair of the 2010 BWC meetings.

Mr. Chairman,

Japan fully associates itself with the JACKSNNZ statement delivered by the distinguished delegate of Australia. Nevertheless, I would like to draw attention to a few points of particular interest to my country.

Today’s growing bio-threat is caused by a variety of factors, ranging from natural disease outbreaks due to accidents or negligence to the intentional abuse of biological agents. In particular, the recent outbreaks of new types of diseases, such as H1N1 influenza and a number of other emerging infectious diseases, have highlighted the actual and potential rapid spread of dangerous pathogens across borders. The outbreaks of such diseases clearly show the importance of strengthening disease surveillance and diagnostic capacity.

The BWC stipulates the importance of international cooperation among the States Parties in the field of bacteriology for the prevention of disease. My delegation would like to stress the importance of capacity building through international cooperation under Article X, which helps the States Parties to achieve the objectives of the BWC, which are disarmament and non-proliferation.

Mr. Chairman,

Japan has been actively engaged in international cooperation in the area of infectious disease prevention. Our cooperative efforts include bilateral and multilateral assistance and I would like to illustrate some related activities of this kind.

In the form of bilateral assistance, Japan has been conducting grant aid projects for the prevention of infectious disease. Since 2006, Japan has provided the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) in Vietnam with four BSL3 laboratories and two BSL2 laboratories, as well as examination equipment worth $8 million. This has expanded the functions of the institute and enabled it to handle and examine high-risk pathogens. Since 2007, Japan has also granted assistance worth over $15 million to the Disease Investigation Center in Indonesia in order to renovate and expand avian influenza related facilities and examination equipment. This has improved the diagnosis capabilities of the center, which enables the early detection of avian influenza and the prevention of its spread.

Development of human resources is also an essential element for improving surveillance, and the Government of Japan successively provides technical assistance for the appropriate diagnosis and detection of infectious diseases by dispatching experts and receiving trainees.

Assistance through multilateral frameworks is also effective for the all-inclusive efforts to prevent infectious diseases. Japan has contributed to the development of national preparedness plans in Asian countries through the activities of international organizations such as the WHO and OIE.

Mr. Chairman,

Based on these experiences, I would like to make a few suggestions to prioritize programs for effective assistance. First, assistance should be tailored to meet the differing circumstances of each recipient state, such as their capacity for self-reliance and sustainability. Second, such assistance needs to be carried out in a manner that contributes to the non-proliferation of biological weapons. Third, international cooperation in the BWC context should complement the activities of other relevant international organizations. And lastly, we should promote bio-safety and bio-security through assistance in education and training.

On these points, Japan has prepared a working paper on behalf of JACKSNNZ, which I hope will provide a good basis for the discussions this week.

Mr. Chairman,

The Seventh Review Conference is only two years ahead of us, and we should bear in mind that the Meeting of States Parties this year is an important step towards creating a positive atmosphere at the Review Conference. My delegation is ready to participate in the very productive discussions this week thus contributing to the success of the meeting.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.