(94.04.19)田中大使UNDC

　 Let me extend, on behalf of the Japanese delegation, my heartfelt congratulations to Your Excellency on your assumption of the chairmanship of the United Nations Disarmament Commission. My delegation is confident that, under your able guidance, the 1994 substantive session of the UNDC will be a genuinely fruitful one, and wishes to assure you of its active cooperation.

　 Last year, under the chairmanship of Ambassador Hoffmann of Germany, the Working Group agreed on guidelines arid recommendations for a regional approach to disarmament. This was indeed a notable achievement. Japan hopes that this and similar international agreements that take into account the characteristics of a specific region will provide a basis for further concrete progress in arms control and disarmament.

　 The end of the Cold War brought about the collapse of an international order that had been based on the East-West rivalry. Pending the consolidation of a new world order, the present unstable situation may be expected to continue for some time. While the threats to world peace and stability which prevailed throughout the Cold War era have dissipated considerably, new dangers have taken their place, not only in Europe but in various other parts of the world. Although the exact nature and implications of these new dangers are as yet unclear, they are effecting fundamental changes in the international strategic situation. It is against the background of such changes, and in the recognition of the dangers inherent in a world in flux, that the international community is paying ever greater attention to the issue of non-proliferation, particularly of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. And so, as we address the three items on this year's UNDC agenda - nuclear disarmament, the role of science and technology, and international arms transfers - it is essential that we bear in mind the evolving political and security situation.

　 Because the Commission focused its attention last year on other items on its agenda, it made no substantive progress on nuclear disarmament. Japan hopes that at this session the Commission will build upon the developments made in the field since then and will produce meaningful results on this important topic. Japan is pleased to note, in particular, the commencement of the transfer of nuclear weapons from Ukraine to the Russian Federation in accordance with the trilateral agreement reached in January of this year between the United States, the Russian Federation and Ukraine. We hope that all nuclear weapons deployed throughout the former Soviet Union will be moved safely and expeditiously to the Russian Federation, and that Ukraine will become a Party to the NPT as a non-nuclear weapon State at the earliest possible date. At the same time, we trust that START I and START II will be firmly implemented.

　 Japan has extended grant assistance totalling about US $100 million for the purposes of dismantling nuclear weapons in the former Soviet Union and facilitating the denuclearization of Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. Furthermore, as confirmed by its Prime Minister at the 1993 UN General Assembly, Japan supports the indefinite extension of the NPT and hopes that the CTBT negotiations under way in the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva will be concluded at an early date. We also anticipate that negotiations on a "cut-off" will soon commence in the CD, thus ensuring an auspicious environment for the 1995 NPT Conference.

　 It is truly regrettable that the UNDC failed last year to agree on a paper on the role of science and technology, despite the intensive deliberations that continued until the last minute under the able leadership of Ambassador Mason of Canada, as chairman of the drafting group. The chairman's paper, presented at the end of the session, reflects in a balanced manner the many and divergent views of the delegations which participated in the deliberations, while aiming at the creation of cooperative relations between supplier and recipient countries of high technology. Japan believes the paper can serve as a basis for the ongoing discussion of this topic. I would caution, however, that we not dwell on the negative side of scientific and technological development in terms of its acceleration of arms races, lest it hinder our efforts to formulate objective criteria for the international community. Japan considers that in order to avoid any duplication of effort we should at first sort out various aspects of science and technology which are in themselves neutral, and then discuss broader themes. These include the use of science and technology in such ways that will not threaten efforts to maintain and strengthen international peace and security, and the creation of cooperative relations between supplier and recipient countries in the area of the transfer of high technology. Japan considers it important to agree in this way on various elements of science and technology as a package.

　 Japan is one of the countries which believe that the existing export control regimes - such as the Missile Technology Control Regime, the Nuclear Supplier Group, and the Australian Group - have functioned effectively and have made significant contributions to the non-proliferation of weapons. We therefore do not share the view held by some that the goal of non-proliferation will not be advanced through unilateral export control measures undertaken by groups of supplier countries. On the other hand, Japan is fully aware that in today's world of ever-increasing interdependence, the international situation is too fluid to yield a solution that addresses both the requirement of promoting non-proliferation of weapons and that of ensuring access to technology for economic development solely through existing regimes.

　 From the perspective of supplier countries, the most urgent tasks before us are the development of effective export control systems in all countries which have the capacity to supply weapon-related materials, and the promotion of a commitment to non-proliferation, especially of weapons of mass destruction.

　 On the other hand, one issue which needs to be addressed is the development of national export control systems by recipient countries - if necessary with the help of supplier countries - to ensure that the technologies obtained will be neither diverted to military purposes nor re-exported to conflict areas or conflict-prone areas. Japan believes it is important for recipient countries to endeavor to regulate themselves, instead of placing the onus solely on supplier countries. Indeed, I cannot help but believe that such efforts by recipient countries will play an intrinsic role in facilitating the smoother transfer of technology in the future.

　 If we are to succeed in formulating a consensus document, it is essential that delegations seek flexible and practicable guidelines, bearing in mind the changing world situation and possible future developments, and refraining from focusing too intently on the details of the text. All delegations must recognize that progress will not be made if they insist on clinging to anachronistic norms. If the UNDC remains a forum only for the exchange among delegations of well-known views, its very raison d'etre is bound to be questioned.

　 The issue of international arms transfers involves countries all over the world and has an important bearing not only on political and security questions but also on the economic needs of each country. Naturally, therefore, positions on this issue vary from country to country, making it extremely difficult to find an appropriate way to approach it.

　 Japan believes that if we are to tackle this problem effectively it is important that we first of all try to enhance transparency and openness. Toward this end, Japan has been actively involved in the establishment of the UN Register of Conventional Arms and in efforts to ensure its smooth operation. The Register is a system for exchanging information so as to prevent the excessive accumulation of weapons, and as such is a useful confidence-building measure. We hope that a greater number of countries will participate in the second Register which will be continued this year in an effort to achieve universality.

　 Responding to a request conveyed in a General Assembly resolution, this year the UNDC is conducting its deliberations on international arms transfers by focusing on substantive questions of arms control that go beyond the confidence-building measures I have just mentioned. While there have been steady efforts to deal with issues concerning weapons of mass destruction within the frameworks of the NPT, the CWC, the BWC, and other relevant international arrangements for the non-proliferation or elimination of such weapons, the issue of transfer of conventional weapons has never been discussed adequately because it elicits such widely divergent views. If the UNDC could this year suggest a number of approaches to the consideration of this issue, it would be making a significant contribution.

　 Second, consideration of the need to ensure that the appropriate legal framework and administrative institutions are in place in each country for the effective restriction of arms trading and consideration of possible international cooperation, particularly in terms of how each country might effectively deal with illicit trade of arms and of what measures the international community can take to deal with such trade. Typically, illicit arms trading is carried out in places remote from the administrative facilities that control the export and import of arms. Consequently, it is difficult to identify the principals involved as well as the content, scope, and the value, etc. of the trade. We know, however, that illicit trade contributes significantly to the continuation and expansion of conflicts. It is therefore imperative that we consider measures to combat it. A number of countries regard the UN Register of Conventional Arms as severely limited since it deals only with official transfers between governments. But if we seriously address the issue of illicit trade, I believe those countries will be encouraged to take a more cooperative attitude toward the Register, and will thus contribute to the achievement of its further universality.

　 In order to prevent such unstable elements as incipient territorial disputes and tribal and religious rivalries in various parts of the world from developing into armed conflicts, and to prevent the escalation of conflicts, Japan believes the time has come for the countries that supply weapons to develop and strengthen a framework of voluntary restrictions. And it is time for the international community as a whole to examine the possibility of establishing strict international norms on the transfer of arms.