(94.05.24)平田政務次官ＵＮ軍縮広島会議

　 It is six years since a disarmament conference under the auspices of the United Nations has been held in Japan at this time of the zephyrs. I consider that this year's conference has an ever greater significance than the previous ones. Next year 1995 is the 50th anniversary of the dropping of nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which caused the untold suffering of a great many people. It will also be 50 years since the end of the Second World War in which devastating damage was inflicted all over the world. It would not be too much to say that the disarmament efforts we have been making are aimed at the prevention of a repetition of such grievous experiences. At the same time, next year will mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations, one of the aims of which is the maintenance of international peace and security. I consider it of great significance, therefore, for experts of various nations to gather in Hiroshima and to discuss disarmament issues under the flag of the United Nations at this juncture of history.

　 If one looks back, it can be seen that disarmament after the Second World War has focused on the prevention of large-scale nuclear war between the East and West blocks in circumstances of military rivalry between the two blocks. In that Cold War period, the main players were superpowers with enormous nuclear arsenals and the main area of activity was East-West nuclear arms control negotiations. However, the period of such disarmament, which mainly involved the superpowers, has ended with the Cold War, and now the international community finds itself in a situation where not only a small number of superpowers, but also all other countries need to be involved in order to deal with diverse threats. Now that actual armed conflicts are taking place at several spots in the world, even greater endeavors are required for the maintenance of peace and security.

　 Under these circumstances, it is thought that Japan might play an even greater role in the field of disarmament, and the international community expects Japan to act more vigorously in this field. With this in mind, Japan reaffirms its basic defense policy not to become a military power which would threaten other countries, keeping its exclusively defense-oriented posture under its peace constitution. Moreover, Japan is determined to conduct active policy as a "country contributing to disarmament" at this juncture of history in order to consolidate the results of past disarmament efforts and steadily promote disarmament, corresponding to the new security environment.

　 With regard to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which is the main pillar of the nuclear non-proliferation regime, Japan is of the view that the treaty should be extended indefinitely at next year's conference of parties to the treaty on which occasion the extension period will be decided. Taking this opportunity, I would like to appeal to other parties to the NPT, including Asian countries, to support its indefinite extension, and to call on countries which have not yet acceded to the treaty to do so.

　 At the same time, the indefinite extension of the NPT should not mean the perpetuation of the possession of nuclear weapons by nuclear-weapon states. Japan would like to point out that it is important that all nuclear-weapon states work for even further progress toward nuclear disarmament.

　 One of the major current issues in the field of nuclear disarmament is the comprehensive ban on nuclear testing. Indeed, multilateral negotiations on the comprehensive test ban has become possible with the end of the Cold War, and I regard that this is one of the most suitable areas for Japan to play an active role. Last year at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, Ambassador Yoshitomo Tanaka of Japan worked hard as chairperson of the Ad-hoc Committee on Nuclear Test Ban to prepare for the start of negotiations at the beginning of this year's session. Japan is determined to continue its contribution to early conclusion of the negotiations.

　 The crucial point in ensuring the effectiveness of a Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty is that the treaty be equipped with an appropriate system of verification. Japan has always worked for the establishment of adequate verification methods of nuclear testing, taking advantage of our advanced seismological technologies. It is on these lines that Japan hosted a workshop on verification for the comprehensive ban of nuclear testing in Tokyo this March.

　　The issue of North Korea's development of nuclear weapons poses grave concerns to the nuclear non-proliferation regime. In cooperation with the United States, the Republic of Korea and other members of the international community, Japan will continue to urge North Korea to clear concerns of the international community on its development of nuclear weapons by fully returning to the NPT as well as completely implementing the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards agreement and carrying out the joint Declaration on Denuclearization in the Korean Peninsula. Among others, Japan urges North Korea to fully accept the inspections, which the IAEA is requesting, and to involve itself sincerely in North-South dialogue, giving serious thought to the statement of March 31 of this year by the chairperson of the United Nations Security Council.

　 Japan is now preparing for its early ratification of the Chemical Weapons Convention signed in January of last year. It is also going to actively participate in the work of the Preparatory Commission of the convention with a view to ensuring proper and smooth implementation of the convention in the future.

　 In the field of conventional weapons, it is a matter of top priority to increase the number of participating countries of the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms, which has been established on the initiative of Japan and the European Community countries, as well as to expand the items to be reported to the register. As regards the expansion of the items to be reported, it is necessary at least to include information on possession and national procurement of armaments in the Secretary-General's report as its Part II. The provision of such information is currently encouraged, but that information is not carried in the report. The inclusion of such information would make the information more widely accessible. To facilitate deliberations by experts on the expansion of this register, including the above said aspect, Japan would like to host a workshop in Tokyo next month on June 29 and 30.

　 Japan's Official Development Assistance Charter stipulates the principle that full attention should be paid to trends in recipient countries' military expenditures, their development and production of weapons of mass destruction and missiles, and their export and import of arms. Thus, Japan encourages positive movements in developing countries through its development assistance. It regards the accession to the NPT as a positive step in connection with the said principle.

　 Since the termination of COCOM at the end of this March, Japan and other member countries and cooperating countries of COCOM have been trying to establish a framework for export control of conventional weapons from the viewpoint of the ensuring of regional peace and stability. Japan is going to continue to work for early establishment of an effective framework for this aim.

　 For ensuring the effectiveness of international export control regimes, it is indispensable for as many countries as possible, including non-member countries of these regimes, to be equipped with an appropriate export control system. Japan has organized export control training and seminars for NIS countries and Asian countries, thus cooperating in improving export control in these countries.

　 Damage to civilians caused by anti-personnel land mines, such as that experienced in Cambodia, raises grave concerns from the point of view of humanity and social reconstruction. This issue was discussed at the last session of the United Nations General Assembly. Japan strongly supports a moratorium banning the export of anti-personnel land mines and the strengthening of the Convention on Conventional Weapons, which restricts the use of land mines.

　 Assistance in dismantling of nuclear weapons of the former Soviet Union is an example of such concrete activities. Japan is carrying out this assistance in the amount of about $100 million from the standpoint of giving as much cooperation as possible to physical operations of nuclear disarmament considering the feelings of the Japanese people with their unique experience of suffering the devastation of nuclear bombing. By this March Japan concluded framework agreements for this assistance with Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan, where nuclear weapons of the former Soviet Union are deployed. Japan is intent on carrying out this assistance steadfastly, using its expertise acquired in the process of peaceful use of nuclear energy and other activities. This assistance includes cooperation to Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine in accepting safeguards of the IAEA, which is obligatory under the NPT. This area of cooperation is being carried out in close cooperation with the IAEA and other countries that intend to give assistance in this area, with the aim that these countries be equipped with a regime to completely fulfill their obligations under the. NPT. In this connection, Japan welcomes the decision this January by the Ukrainian Government to renew its commitment to accede to the NPT as a non-nuclear-weapon state and looks forward to seeing the Ukrainian Parliament endorse the ratification of the NPT at an early date.

　 As regards the United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) which supervises elimination of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction and missiles, Japan has been making financial and human contributions in such ways as contributing $2.5 million at the setup of the commission and sending personnel to the Chemical Weapons Survey Mission and supervision groups on destroying chemical weapons. It is gratifying to hear that UNSCOM is now about to finish all activities concerning the destruction of Iraqi chemical weapons.

　 The Asia-Pacific region is placed in a complex geopolitical situation with diverse security concerns as well as different political and economic systems of the countries in the region. One needs to approach the issue of the overall security structure of this region with the above mentioned in mind.

　 In this regard, it is of primary importance to maintain the existing bilateral security regimes such as the one between Japan and the United States and the one between the United States and the Republic of Korea. On top of that, we need to work parallelly on the establishing of frameworks with two or more countries concerned for solving individual conflicts and confrontations, on the developing of a loose framework of the entire region for discussions and cooperation which would supplement the bilateral security regimes in the long run, as well as on the promoting of economic development that is going to play a vital role for security in this region.

　 As for discussions of the entire region, an agreement was reached in the ASEAN Foreign Ministerial Meeting of last July to establish an ASEAN Regional Forum from this year on, involving the participating countries of the ministerial meeting and other five countries such as China and Russia, which is expected to broaden the scope of political and security discussions. Japan intends to continue to promote this kind of discussions to improve the transparency of policy of countries in the region and the sense of reassurance.

　 With regard to frameworks with two or more countries concerned, Japan conducts dialogue on security issues at various levels. As far as disarmament issues are concerned, in South Asia, bilateral consultations are being conducted on nuclear non-proliferation with India and Pakistan, where Japan appeals to the two countries to accede to the NPT promptly and to take positive measures for the stability in South Asia. Japan is also intensifying dialogue with China, considering its significant role in disarmament and non-proliferation issues, such as the nuclear problem of North Korea, the banning of nuclear testing as well as the transfer of weapons and sensitive materials. In line with this Japan and China held consultations on security issues last December and this March.

　 As was said at the outset of this statement, 1995 marks the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, in which people all over the world experienced the awful calamity of war. It is also the 50th year since the dropping of nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As a prelude to the solemn anniversaries to be observed in 1995, I would like to propose the holding of a United Nations disarmament conference in Nagasaki in 1995 to follow on the Hiroshima conference, in order to look back at the results of disarmament efforts during the past half-century as well as to deliberate on future disarmament.