(95.04.20)赤尾ｳｨｰﾝ代大使ＮＰＴ再検討延長会議（第３委）

　 Let me begin by congratulating you upon your election to the chairmanship of the Main Committee III. We trust that your experience, diplomatic skill, and fair guidance will ensure a fruitful outcome for the Committee. My delegation will spare no effort in co-operating with you in the discharge of your important duties.

　 The NPT is founded on three main pillars, namely, prevention of the proliferation of nuclear weapons, the right to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and the pursuit of nuclear disarmament. To slight any one of these three pillars would seriously jeopardize the credibility of the entire regime. Far from restricting exchanges among the State Parties in the domain of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, the NPT regime, as a whole, serves as an international framework to facilitate cooperation, not only among industrialized countries but also with developing countries. Japan is determined, as one of the most advanced countries in this area, to do its best to extend such cooperation and promote the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, while, at the same time, ensuring non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. In this respect, I would like to underline that Japan is greatly appreciative and supportive of the particularly important role played by IAEA in pursuing the objectives of both non-proliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

　 Paragraph I of Article IV of the treaty provides for the "inalienable right" of State Parties to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. In our view, the development and utilization of nuclear energy plays, and will continue to play, an important role in economic and social development. Many countries have benefited greatly from the utilization of nuclear energy, such as power generation and its applications in the fields of agriculture, health and industry.

　 It is our firm belief that nuclear power is, and should continue to be, one of the major sources of energy, in addition to fossil fuels and hydroelectric power. In particular, nuclear power contributes considerably to our efforts to cope with global warming by minimizing the emission of carbon dioxide. It goes without saying that the development and utilization of nuclear energy should go hand in hand with assurances of non-proliferation and safety.

　 In this connection, Japan is of the view that any nuclear fuel cycle programmes should be carried cut under the principle of not holding surplus plutonium and keeping the programmes as transparent as possible.

　 Paragraph 2 of the Article IV of the Treaty provides for international cooperation and, in particular, calls for "due consideration for the needs of the developing area of the world" in promoting peaceful uses of nuclear energy. IAEA has been playing a significant role in this respect.

　 Japan has actively supported multilateral cooperation through IAEA, and has steadily increased its financial contribution. Furthermore, utilizing its advanced technology in the nuclear field, Japan has fully supported, and played a central role in, technical cooperation with developing countries in Asia and the Pacific through the implementation of the "Regional Cooperative Agreement on Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology in Asia and the Pacific" (RCA). These regional cooperation programs have been very successful.

　 IAEA introduced the new model project concept in 1994. We hope that the use of this model project approach will improve significantly the effectiveness and efficiency of the technical cooperation activities and increase the benefit for recipient countries.

　 With respect to bilateral cooperation with developing countries, Japan has carried out various programs in such forms as exchange of technical experts and of information. Japan will continue its efforts to pursue effective technical cooperation activities, taking into account the financial situation, technical capability and needs of recipient countries.

　 I should like to state, in this connection, that my delegation will make the document available on Japan's cooperation efforts, both multilateral and bilateral, in the field of the peaceful application of nuclear energy. With respect to nuclear safety, in the views of my delegation, the responsibility for nuclear safety lies in the hands of each individual country, but international cooperation is essential to ensure that our efforts will achieve and maintain a high level of nuclear safety, since an accident at any nuclear power plant has global negative effect. It is, therefore, of great significance that the Convention on Nuclear Safety has been signed by 56 Governments, including my own, since its opening for signature last September. We strongly hope that the Convention will enter into force as soon as possible and that as many countries as possible will participate in this Convention.

　 With respect to the recent reports of illicit trafficking of nuclear materials, Japan shares grave concerns over this issue and feels that there is a need for strengthened international cooperation in this area. In this regard, we appreciate the efforts of IAEA to strengthen physical protection, to support the establishment of State System of Accounting and Control (SSAC) in the countries concerned, and to establish a data base of non-sensitive information in IAEA.

　 Lastly, I would like to touch upon Japan's policy concerning the exportation of nuclear-related equipment, materials and technology to non-nuclear weapon States. It is the firm position of my Government that it must strictly control export licenses for these goods and technology, issuing them only when the recipient country adheres to the NPT, or an equivalent treaty, and accepts full-scope IAEA safeguards. This same policy has been adopted with regard to bilateral cooperation activities because Japan is determined to cooperate only with those countries which accede to the NPT and accept full-scope safeguards. We would like other countries concerned to take similarly strict measures.

　 We recognize and support the mechanisms of the Zangger Committee and the Nuclear Suppliers' Group as multilateral endeavors in this field. Both of them deal with nuclear material, equipment and technology, the latter dealing also with nuclear-related dual-use material, equipment and technology. We are of the view that these efforts further strengthen the non-proliferation regime established by the NPT. We also recognize the importance of the new reporting scheme on inter-national nuclear transactions of IAEA introduced by its Board of Governors' decision of June, 1993.

　 We think that these measures will contribute greatly to preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and will also encourage States, that are not party to the NPT, to adhere to the Treaty. We are convinced that such a policy, far from restricting exchange among State Parties of the Treaty in the domain of peaceful uses of nuclear energy, rather serves as an international framework to facilitate cooperation among countries.