(96.01.25)黒河内大使ＣＤ（一般）

　 At the outset, I would like to congratulate you on your assumption of the presidency of the Conference on Disarmament at the beginning of its 1996 session. It is fortunate for us that we can rely on your able leadership at this most challenging time. We have already been benefited from your wisdom, experience and diplomatic skills when you successfully guided us through the smooth start of the deliberations of the Conference and the seamless resumption of the work of the Ad Hoc Committee on a Nuclear Test Ban. I can assure you the fullest cooperation of my delegation. I would also like to express my appreciation to Ambassador Benjelloun-Touimi of Morocco for the exemplary way in which he carried out his important functions as the President of the Conference on Disarmament last year. I also wish to warmly welcome Ambassadors of Cuba, Kenya and Nigeria, whose participation will surely enrich our deliberations.

　 Without exaggeration, the task we face this year in the CD is of vital importance to the whole world. This mission of concluding the negotiations on the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty is the lofty responsibility with which the international community entrusts this Conference.

　 Let me cite a few examples of the international commitment to conclude a CTBT in 1996. It is still fresh in our memory that such commitment was demonstrated in the "Principles and Objectives for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament" decided at the NPT Review and Extension Conference last May and also in the Resolution entitled "Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty" adopted without a vote at the United Nations General Assembly last December.

　 It is encouraging that we have succeeded in the prompt resumption of the work on the CTBT at the very first day of deliberation of 1996 CD session. It is a clear manifestation that all of us are, and will continue to be, committed to the earliest possible conclusion of the negotiations on the CTBT.

　 As for Japan, Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto stated in his policy speech on January 22 this year that Japan would make its utmost effort toward concluding the CTBT in this coming spring.

　 A world free of nuclear testing is now within our reach. We should not miss this precious window of opportunity. We need to consider how we can make the best use of the remaining time.

　 For this purpose, we have to, first of all, have a clear vision of a feasible time-frame. Let me draw your attention to the statement I made here on August 31 last year. In that statement I pointed out that the goal of signing the CTBT by the fall of 1996 would make it necessary for us to have a clean text available during the second session of the CD this year. I still firmly believe that we must complete this task. This means that we need to reach an agreement on the substance of the treaty during this session of the CD.

　 Bearing in mind such a timetable, we should grapple with remaining substantial problems in the first session of the CD. If I may refer to my August statement again, I offered my views on three specific areas of particular importance, namely, the scope of the treaty, verification and the organization, in particular, the question of the seat of the CTBTO and the Organization's relations with the IAEA.

　 Needless to say, the scope is the central issue of the treaty. The scope will define the CTBT. Japan supports a true zero yield CTBT, which prohibits all nuclear weapon test explosions or any other nuclear explosions. It is Japan's desire to see the CTBT become a concrete step toward nuclear disarmament. In this regard, we took careful note of the statement made by Mr. John Holum of the U.S.. We welcome his view that, by precluding nuclear explosive tests, the CTBT will have a great practical impact to end development of new advanced weapons and keep new military applications from emerging.

　 Japan urges an nuclear weapon states to agree on a true zero-yield as soon as possible. We also strongly hope that increasing support on the treaty language proposed by Australia in its working paper 222 will soon lead to a consensus as it accurately embodies the true zero-yield nuclear test ban. We are now at the stage in which political decisions must be taken with determination toward the convergence of views for the conclusion of the negotiations. No doubt all of us want a "good treaty." It would be a tragedy, however, if, as the result of each state insisting on a treaty which fully incorporates its national concern, we fail to have any treaty at all.

　 With respect to verification system, it was regrettable that the intersessional work on the International Monitoring System this month could not produce sufficient results. Further progress is required in the nearest possible future.

　 As regards the On-Site Inspection, it does not seem to be a productive approach to continue compartmental discussions on individual items such as trigger mechanism, consultation and clarification, decision making, timelines and intrusiveness respectively. My delegation shares the view with other delegations that it would be necessary for us to formulate a sort of package that encompasses au related major elements of OSI. To forge such a package, it is important to seek an appropriate consultation mechanism including an FOC as suggested by the Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee on a Nuclear Test Ban, Ambassador Ramaker of the Netherlands.

　 As to the Organization, please allow me to refer once again to what I stated at the CD plenary before. On July 5th last year I made clear Japan's position that the CTBTO should be small, efficient, cost-effective and void of too much bureaucratization. At the same time, I stated that Japan considers Vienna favorably as a possible seat for the organization to make the best use of existing expertise, particularly that of the IAEA. Now Japan welcomes an emerging consensus which took shape during the intersessional period, particularly so, because this direction exactly corresponds to Japan's long expressed view.

　 In addition to these three points, Japan is of the view that we should proceed with our work looking ahead into the implementation phase of the treaty. I would like to address some issues that will be of significant importance in the future. These items are : funding, the Preparatory Commission and the Entry Into Force.

　 First, funding is an especially urgent question. Unlike other multilateral treaties such as the Chemical Weapons Convention, the CTBT requires a huge financial contribution from each state during its establishment phase. This means that states have to be well prepared to provide the contribution from their budget as early as 1996 or 1997. Thus, we do not have luxury to wait until the end of the whole negotiations to solve this issue. The sooner we reach a conclusion on funding, the better.

　 Moreover, this is a very complex question. Finance relates to every aspect of the CTBT Organization including IMS/IDC, OSI, Preparatory Commission, administrative cost and the relationship with other organizations. Taking this opportunity, the Delegation of Japan would like to express our appreciation for the honor bestowed upon us by appointing a member of my delegation, Mr. Amano, as the Friend of the Chair on such an important and difficult issue. I hereby assure the Conference that my delegation shall spare no effort to fulfil this challenging task.

　 Second, the Preparatory Commission. We appreciate the FOC's effort to make a good start on this issue. We hope that no decision of political nature will be left to the Preparatory Commission so that it can concentrate its efforts on the technical aspects of establishing the CTBTO and to make preparations for the initial phase of the treaty.

　 Third, Japan also attaches importance to the Entry Into Force. The Entry Into Force of the CTBT will definitely enhance the international conviction not to accept nuclear testing. The single numerical measure, the waiver clause and other proposed methods have their own merits and demerits but Japan is of the view that we should adopt a method that enables the day of Entry Into Force to come to us as early as possible. Even though perfect universality seems to be difficult to achieve within a few years, the Entry Into Force of this treaty with a sufficient number of states parties will give a great political impetus to increase the number of state parties to the treaty and will be effective to realize a world free of nuclear testing.

　 It would be remiss if I do not take up the subject of nuclear disarmament. Japan has consistently appealed to the nuclear weapon states to steadily move forward nuclear disarmament; we believe it is particularly imperative now in view of the indefinite extension of the NPT and the "Principles and Objectives." As for the Conference on Disarmament, I have noted the Presidential remarks made on January 23 on the issue of nuclear disarmament. I hope that the President's efforts to bring about consensus through consultations on this issue are fruitful.

　 As repeatedly stated, Japan's position on nuclear disarmament is clear. We believe our goal must be the ultimate elimination of all nuclear weapons. This should be achieved through variety of measures to ensure nuclear non-proliferation, to reduce existing nuclear stockpiles and to prevent qualitative improvement of nuclear weapons. Those measures should not be empty slogans but they must be put into action through realistic measures that will lead to actual nuclear disarmament. It was in accordance with this view that Japan again introduced at the UN General Assembly last year a draft resolution on nuclear disarmament with a view to the ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons. Japan is gratified that the resolution 50/70C was adopted at the General Assembly with an overwhelming majority of 154 votes in favor and no opposition.

　 We are also very pleased to note that the United States shares the same view as Japan in this regard. I am referring in particular to the statement by Mr. John Holum that I referred to earlier. He stated, " the ultimate goal will be reached only through realistic moves forward, as genuine security concerns permit, with each step building on those before it." Japan fully shares his view that the CTBT is an attainable major step on that path and that we will never achieve a world free of nuclear weapons unless we first achieve a world free of nuclear explosions.

　Beyond the CTBT, the Prohibition of the Production of Fissile Material for Nuclear weapons or Other Nuclear Devices must be the next such concrete step. I would like to draw the delegations' attention to the fact that we have agreed to establish an Ad Hoc Committee on Fissile Cut-Off last year. Japan strongly hopes for the earliest commencement of negotiations on this issue.

　 Finally, as regards the CD expansion, Japan welcomes the CD decision (CD/1356) made last year as one proof that the CD does pay keen attention to this issue. We would like to see the solution to this issue, which is acceptable to all concerned, at an early date.

　 Last year was a truly pivotal year in disarmament and non-proliferation. It is totally up to our efforts whether we can make this year another historic year. Japan strongly hopes that we, with all other states, will inscribe the year 1996 in history as the year when the mankind comprehensively prohibited nuclear testing.