Statement by H.E. Ambassador ISHIKANE Kimihiro, Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations, United Nations Security Council Open VTC on Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict
2020/5/27
Mr. President,
I would like to begin by thanking Estonia for convening this important meeting. I thank also the Secretary-General for his report on protection of civilians in armed conflict.
Since the adoption of the landmark Resolution 1265 in 1999, the Security Council has reiterated its firm commitment to this important issue by adopting a series of resolutions including the Resolution 2286 on healthcare in armed conflict, to which Japan contributed as a co-penholder in 2016. It is regrettable that according to the Secretary-General’s report, we observe increased attacks against medical and humanitarian personnel and their facilities. Last December, Dr. Tetsu Nakamura, representative of a Japanese humanitarian NGO who devoted himself for decades to the healthcare and agricultural development in Afghanistan, was killed in a terrorist attack in Jalalabad. Japan strongly condemns such heinous attacks against aid workers.
Currently, COVID-19 is causing a serious human security crisis, spreading across the borders and striking hardest the weakest segments of society. And again, it is the people affected by armed conflict and other situations of violence; women, children, people with disabilities, refugees and internally displaced persons, who are most vulnerable. Japan strongly urges all parties to armed conflict to respond to the Secretary-General’s call for a ceasefire. Key provisions of international humanitarian law (IHL) must be respected to limit the effects of armed conflict on people and communities fighting against the virus under already fragile situations. In March, Japan provided emergency assistance of 140 million USD through UN agencies and IFRC for the COVID-19 response. In April, Japan decided additional assistance of over 1.4 billion USD to support health systems and medical capacity in the developing countries.
Mr. President,
Last year marked the seventieth anniversary of the Geneva Conventions. Japan is deeply concerned about frequent occurrence of alleged violations of IHL, notwithstanding the repeated resolve of the Council on the protection of civilians. At the 33rd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent last December, Japanese Government, together with the Japanese Red Cross Society, made a pledge to promote public awareness through dissemination of IHL in order to prevent sexual violence and attacks against humanitarian workers and their facilities in armed conflicts. Japan urges all parties to armed conflict to comply with their obligations under IHL in all circumstances.
Respect for IHL must be no exception in the context of emergence of cyber warfare and new weapons equipped with emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, which may drastically be changing aspects of conflict. At the 33rd Conference, Japan also pledged to promote study and dialogue at multiple levels on issues concerning cyber warfare and the use of new weapons. Japan intends to contribute to the discussion towards establishing new rules in this area. In this regard, Japan plans to host an international conference on lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS) later this year.
Furthermore, Japan recognizes the critical role of the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission in upholding IHL and continues to contribute both financially and by nominating the most qualified members to the Commission.
Mr. President,
Japan is actively engaged in the operational activities to help civilians affected by armed conflict. With a view to ensuring human security, one of the pillars of Japan’s development cooperation policy, Japan has always prioritized protection and empowerment of those affected by armed conflict, in particular refugees and internally displaced persons. At the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7) held in Yokohama last August, Japan with African countries and international donors committed to support efforts for strengthening the self-reliance and resilience of displaced populations and host communities. Japan’s contribution related to COVID-19 that I mentioned earlier will also be allocated to support the population suffering from armed conflict and other situations of violence in the Middle East and Africa.
The protection of victims of sexual violence in armed conflict is another priority area for Japan from the viewpoint of human security. This year which marks the twentieth anniversary of the Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, Japan reaffirms its unwavering commitment by contributing 2 million euros to the Global Fund for Survivors of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence. Japan continues to support the work of the Team of Experts of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict (SRSG-SVC) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, Somalia and Iraq. Japan also contributes through UN Women to protection and empowerment of the victims of violent extremism in the Sahel and Lake Chad region.
Mr. President,
Japan will continue to commit itself to the protection of civilians in armed conflict. On the normative side, Japan will continue to work to further disseminate IHL while on the operational side, we will support the efforts on the ground to ensure and strengthen human security, by protecting and empowering the victims of armed conflicts and by building institutions that will protect the most vulnerable people, including through humanitarian assistance and peacebuilding support. Japan looks forward to working closely with the United Nations in this endeavor.
Thank you.
I would like to begin by thanking Estonia for convening this important meeting. I thank also the Secretary-General for his report on protection of civilians in armed conflict.
Since the adoption of the landmark Resolution 1265 in 1999, the Security Council has reiterated its firm commitment to this important issue by adopting a series of resolutions including the Resolution 2286 on healthcare in armed conflict, to which Japan contributed as a co-penholder in 2016. It is regrettable that according to the Secretary-General’s report, we observe increased attacks against medical and humanitarian personnel and their facilities. Last December, Dr. Tetsu Nakamura, representative of a Japanese humanitarian NGO who devoted himself for decades to the healthcare and agricultural development in Afghanistan, was killed in a terrorist attack in Jalalabad. Japan strongly condemns such heinous attacks against aid workers.
Currently, COVID-19 is causing a serious human security crisis, spreading across the borders and striking hardest the weakest segments of society. And again, it is the people affected by armed conflict and other situations of violence; women, children, people with disabilities, refugees and internally displaced persons, who are most vulnerable. Japan strongly urges all parties to armed conflict to respond to the Secretary-General’s call for a ceasefire. Key provisions of international humanitarian law (IHL) must be respected to limit the effects of armed conflict on people and communities fighting against the virus under already fragile situations. In March, Japan provided emergency assistance of 140 million USD through UN agencies and IFRC for the COVID-19 response. In April, Japan decided additional assistance of over 1.4 billion USD to support health systems and medical capacity in the developing countries.
Mr. President,
Last year marked the seventieth anniversary of the Geneva Conventions. Japan is deeply concerned about frequent occurrence of alleged violations of IHL, notwithstanding the repeated resolve of the Council on the protection of civilians. At the 33rd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent last December, Japanese Government, together with the Japanese Red Cross Society, made a pledge to promote public awareness through dissemination of IHL in order to prevent sexual violence and attacks against humanitarian workers and their facilities in armed conflicts. Japan urges all parties to armed conflict to comply with their obligations under IHL in all circumstances.
Respect for IHL must be no exception in the context of emergence of cyber warfare and new weapons equipped with emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, which may drastically be changing aspects of conflict. At the 33rd Conference, Japan also pledged to promote study and dialogue at multiple levels on issues concerning cyber warfare and the use of new weapons. Japan intends to contribute to the discussion towards establishing new rules in this area. In this regard, Japan plans to host an international conference on lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS) later this year.
Furthermore, Japan recognizes the critical role of the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission in upholding IHL and continues to contribute both financially and by nominating the most qualified members to the Commission.
Mr. President,
Japan is actively engaged in the operational activities to help civilians affected by armed conflict. With a view to ensuring human security, one of the pillars of Japan’s development cooperation policy, Japan has always prioritized protection and empowerment of those affected by armed conflict, in particular refugees and internally displaced persons. At the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7) held in Yokohama last August, Japan with African countries and international donors committed to support efforts for strengthening the self-reliance and resilience of displaced populations and host communities. Japan’s contribution related to COVID-19 that I mentioned earlier will also be allocated to support the population suffering from armed conflict and other situations of violence in the Middle East and Africa.
The protection of victims of sexual violence in armed conflict is another priority area for Japan from the viewpoint of human security. This year which marks the twentieth anniversary of the Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, Japan reaffirms its unwavering commitment by contributing 2 million euros to the Global Fund for Survivors of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence. Japan continues to support the work of the Team of Experts of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict (SRSG-SVC) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, Somalia and Iraq. Japan also contributes through UN Women to protection and empowerment of the victims of violent extremism in the Sahel and Lake Chad region.
Mr. President,
Japan will continue to commit itself to the protection of civilians in armed conflict. On the normative side, Japan will continue to work to further disseminate IHL while on the operational side, we will support the efforts on the ground to ensure and strengthen human security, by protecting and empowering the victims of armed conflicts and by building institutions that will protect the most vulnerable people, including through humanitarian assistance and peacebuilding support. Japan looks forward to working closely with the United Nations in this endeavor.
Thank you.