(93.04.13)柿沢政務次官ＵＮ軍縮京都会議

　 It is my great pleasure to have the opportunity to make a statement on behalf of the Japanese government at the opening ceremony of the Third United Nations Kyoto Conference on Disarmament Issues. First of all, I would like to express my hearty welcome to the participants both from overseas and Japan. I sincerely hope that this conference will prove even more fruitful than the previous ones through your active discussions.

　 It was two years ago right after the end of the Gulf Crisis that the previous Kyoto Conference was held in this hall. At that conference, the Japanese government addressed the issues of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and missiles and the international transfer of conventional weapons, thus pointing out the urgency for the international community to tackle these issues together. This was based on the recognition that in the wake of the Cold War there were ominous signs indicating increase of destabilizing factors, such as regional conflicts breaking out of ethnical, religious confrontations and territorial disputes which had been suppressed up to then.

　 If one takes a look at the situation in the former Yugoslavia and the former Soviet Union, it is regrettable to note that uncertainty and instability seem to be greatly increasing in the post-Cold War world, although the threat of a large scale war appears to have receded.

　 In this state of affairs, it is a matter of growing importance that all countries on the globe jointly endeavor to prevent destabilizing factors or risks in various quarters of the world from developing into confrontation or armed conflict. This approach might be named "cooperative security." In this sense, one may regard the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms and the activization of the special inspection of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which Japan proposed in this hall two years ago and which materialized thereafter, as good examples of application of the "cooperative security" approach.

　 North Korea's decision of last month to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), made against such a trend, was cause of grave shock to the international community. This decision was a challenge to the international community striving to strengthen jointly the non-proliferation regime of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction. Japan strongly urges North Korea to retract its decision to withdraw from the NPT.

　 Japan is reinforcing its diplomatic efforts in other regions of proliferation concerns. In South Asia, Japan recently held first bilateral consultations on nuclear non-proliferation with India and Pakistan respectively, following agreements of Prime Minister Miyazawa with the respective prime ministers. Japan is also actively participating in the multilateral workshop on arms control and regional security which is being held in connection with the Middle East peace process. In the course of policy dialogues and high-level mutual visits with developing countries, Japan makes it a point to ask for understanding of one of the principles of its "Official Development Assistance Charter", which stipulates that full attention should be paid to trends in recipient countries' development and production of weapons of mass destruction and missiles on providing Japan's ODA.

　 Furthermore, it is necessary for not only members of export control regimes, but also non-member countries to establish an effective export control system of weapon-related items and technologies in order to ensure the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and missiles. From this viewpoint, Japan is particularly calling on several Asian countries that are in the process of acquiring the capability to supply weapon-related items to establish an effective export control system.

　 In 1995, two years from now, an important conference will be held to decide the extension period of the NPT. Japan is going to make all possible efforts to achieve the smooth extension of the treaty, which is the cornerstone of the nuclear non-proliferation regime. At the same time, having seen the rapid development in the US-Russian nuclear disarmament, Japan hopes that nuclear disarmament will make further progress involving all nuclear weapon states in such areas as quantitative reduction in nuclear arsenals and cessation of nuclear testing.

　 Another major area that requires the "cooperative security" approach is the elimination of nuclear, chemical and other weapons of the former Soviet Union. As a result of a series of nuclear disarmament measures, such as the Second Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START II) signed last January, more than 20,000 nuclear warheads are slated for elimination. According to the Chemical Weapons Convention, another treaty signed in the same month, approximately 40,000 tons of chemical weapons of Russia are to be eliminated. In the light of international security as well as the effective implementation of the treaties, it is of great importance to eliminate these weapons in a safe and secure manner. This importance has been recognized anew over the past few days owing to the startling fact that a huge amount of radioactive wastes has been dumped in the neighboring waters of Japan and・ the explosion which occurred at a nuclear fuel reprocessing facility in the Siberian city Tomsk-7.

　 In connection with this, Japan considers that Russia and other countries concerned of the former Soviet Union, which have committed themselves in treaties and other forms, carry the prime responsibility to eliminate these weapons. On the other hand, as I mentioned, because this issue has great bearings on the security of the world. Japan and other industrialized nations should work together to cope with this important international challenge.

　 One major factor that complicates the issue of elimination of nuclear weapons of the former Soviet Union is the attitude of Ukraine. Japan calls on Ukraine to immediately ratify the START Treaty and accede to the NPT as a non-nuclear weapon state with Kazakhstan as it committed itself in the START Protocol of 1992.

　 As for the International Science and Technology Center aimed at preventing the outflow of scientists and engineers of the former Soviet Union who were related to the production of weapons of mass destruction, Japan will support the center by making a financial contribution of 20 million dollars and human contributions, in accordance with its basic policy to promote non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

　 It is gratifying news that the Chemical Weapons Convention was signed by more than 130 countries last January. Japan has decided to make a financial contribution of 2.25 million dollars for this fiscal year so that the Preparatory Commission starts its substantive activities as soon as possible. Japan is also going to make human contributions by sending personnel to the Preparatory Commission. Japan will continue to work steadfastly for an early ratification and effective implementation of the treaty.

　 There have been various developments with regard to the international transfer of conventional arms for the past two years since the last Kyoto Conference. The establishment of the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms on the initiative of Japan and the European Community countries is a historic step forward, in the light of the sequence of trial and error by the international community in this area. In this Register system, member countries of the United Nations are supposed to make the first report by the end of this April and Japan itself is preparing its report now. Besides, Japan together with the United Nations held a "Workshop on the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms for Asia and Oceanic Countries," with a view to deepening the understanding of this system by countries of these regions and to promoting their participation. Japan hopes that as many member countries of the United Nations as possible will participate in the register for its effective operation.

　 In this connection, Japan welcomes the course of action recently approved at the United Nations General Assembly for the strengthening of the Office of Disarmament Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat. The Office of Disarmament Affairs plays a significant role in the effective implementation of the Register. Japan supports the reinforcement of the office, with its integrity maintained.

　 On the other hand, the meeting of the five major arms supplier countries which had been begun with the aim of establishing an effective control of international arms transfers, has stopped its work, since it has failed to establish a mechanism to implement the guidelines agreed to by themselves. Japan calls on the countries concerned to restart the process as soon as possible.

　 One of the key words to security in the Cold War period was "deterrence." That is an idea of strategy to deter the attack by the opponent through clearly demonstrating one's readiness to inflict intolerable damage on the opponent if the opponent attacks one.

　 It is still an undeniable fact that the peace and security of the world is in the final account guaranteed by deterrence of armed forces including nuclear weapons. However, if one looks at the regional conflicts on the Balkan Peninsula and in the former Soviet Union and the problem of elimination and control of nuclear weapons of the former Soviet Union in the aftermath of the Cold War, it becomes clear that the security issues which we must address urgently include ones that cannot be dealt with appropriately only in the framework of "deterrence." In addressing such issues, the "cooperative security" approach, to prevent the worsening of an unstable state of affairs through the joint efforts of the international community, would be more effective than the approach of meeting threat by threat. I would like to conclude my statement by stressing this point.