Statement by Mr. KAWASE Taro, Counsellor and Legal Adviser, Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, at the Meeting of the Sixth Committee on Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism (Agenda Item 114)
2020/10/7
Mr. Chairperson,
At the outset, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your election as chair of the Sixth Committee. You can count on our full support during this session. I also congratulate the other Bureau members on their appointments. Japan looks forward to our close cooperation.
Mr. Chairperson,
The COVID-19 crisis has posed unforeseen challenges to global counter-terrorism efforts. We are witnessing an ever-growing dependence on information and communications technology as well as unprecedented difficulties in governance due to the pandemic. Terrorists and violent extremists are attempting to exploit these vulnerabilities. Vigilance is especially imperative in cyberspace, which they increasingly leverage for propaganda, recruitment and financing amidst the worldwide lockdown.
Mr. Chairperson,
COVID-19 is a stark reminder of the need for international cooperation between various stakeholders, including states, international organizations, academia, civil society and private companies. Such cooperation is indispensable on all fronts, one of which is combatting conventional and emerging terrorist threats. Japan takes pride in its continued commitment to global counter-terrorism efforts. Indeed, not only have we contributed to counter-terrorism discussions in the United Nations and other relevant fora, but we have also steadfastly assisted other Member States as they undertake a diverse set of counter-terrorism measures in collaboration with relevant UN bodies, such as the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) and the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT).
To take one notable example, Japan has supported the UNOCT’s efforts to work with Member States in Asia to enhance the investigative skills of their officials in relation to the collection of open source information from the internet and social media and to raise awareness about terrorists’ utilization of the dark web and crypto assets. We believe that this initiative will offer beneficiaries more resilience against the expanding threat of cyberspace exploitation by terrorists during the pandemic. The international community should also prepare for post-COVID-19 terrorism risks, such as the reinvigoration of terrorists’ transboundary movements. Japan has been a donor to the UN Countering Terrorist Travel Programme, led by the UNOCT in accordance with pertinent Security Council resolutions, since its launch last year and we hope that it will contribute to bolstering Member States’ terrorist detection capabilities.
Mr. Chairperson,
Undeterred by its postponement this spring due to the pandemic, Japan will host the Fourteenth UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Kyoto next March. One of its agenda items will focus on international cooperation and technical assistance to prevent terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, which will greatly benefit from the discussions in this Committee. We will spare no effort to bring success to the Kyoto Congress, together with the UNODC and other Member States.
In closing, Japan reaffirms its determination to promote international counter-terrorism efforts in close collaboration with our fellow Member States, the UN and relevant international organizations.
I thank you.
At the outset, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your election as chair of the Sixth Committee. You can count on our full support during this session. I also congratulate the other Bureau members on their appointments. Japan looks forward to our close cooperation.
Mr. Chairperson,
The COVID-19 crisis has posed unforeseen challenges to global counter-terrorism efforts. We are witnessing an ever-growing dependence on information and communications technology as well as unprecedented difficulties in governance due to the pandemic. Terrorists and violent extremists are attempting to exploit these vulnerabilities. Vigilance is especially imperative in cyberspace, which they increasingly leverage for propaganda, recruitment and financing amidst the worldwide lockdown.
Mr. Chairperson,
COVID-19 is a stark reminder of the need for international cooperation between various stakeholders, including states, international organizations, academia, civil society and private companies. Such cooperation is indispensable on all fronts, one of which is combatting conventional and emerging terrorist threats. Japan takes pride in its continued commitment to global counter-terrorism efforts. Indeed, not only have we contributed to counter-terrorism discussions in the United Nations and other relevant fora, but we have also steadfastly assisted other Member States as they undertake a diverse set of counter-terrorism measures in collaboration with relevant UN bodies, such as the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) and the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT).
To take one notable example, Japan has supported the UNOCT’s efforts to work with Member States in Asia to enhance the investigative skills of their officials in relation to the collection of open source information from the internet and social media and to raise awareness about terrorists’ utilization of the dark web and crypto assets. We believe that this initiative will offer beneficiaries more resilience against the expanding threat of cyberspace exploitation by terrorists during the pandemic. The international community should also prepare for post-COVID-19 terrorism risks, such as the reinvigoration of terrorists’ transboundary movements. Japan has been a donor to the UN Countering Terrorist Travel Programme, led by the UNOCT in accordance with pertinent Security Council resolutions, since its launch last year and we hope that it will contribute to bolstering Member States’ terrorist detection capabilities.
Mr. Chairperson,
Undeterred by its postponement this spring due to the pandemic, Japan will host the Fourteenth UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Kyoto next March. One of its agenda items will focus on international cooperation and technical assistance to prevent terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, which will greatly benefit from the discussions in this Committee. We will spare no effort to bring success to the Kyoto Congress, together with the UNODC and other Member States.
In closing, Japan reaffirms its determination to promote international counter-terrorism efforts in close collaboration with our fellow Member States, the UN and relevant international organizations.
I thank you.