国連安保理公開討論「アフリカにおける平和と安全保障：紛争停止イニシアティブ（Silencing of the Guns）の実施における開発政策のインパクト」における石兼大使ステートメント
令和5年3月30日
Thank you, Madame President, for convening this open debate. I am also grateful for the interventions by the briefers.
Development policies in the implementation of the Silencing the Guns campaign are extremely important and we commend Mozambique for holding an open debate on this matter. With this in mind, I would like to highlight three points that Japan considers essential for today’s topic.
First, addressing the root causes of conflict and terrorism is indispensable for regional stability. The vulnerability of state and local institutions is one of the fundamental causes of conflicts and terrorism. Preventing the creation of an environment where young people are attracted to extremism is necessary. Based on this recognition, Japan promotes institution building and the strengthening of governance, including legislative, administrative and judicial systems.
Consolidation of democracy and good governance under the rule of law is crucial for peace and stability, which enables sustainable development in Africa. In this regard, broad, inclusive, and democratic public participation including by women and youth in national and local governance is essential.
Second, approaches at sub-regional, national, local, and community levels as well as human security approach are needed. We cannot emphasize too much the important role played by AU and other African sub-regional groups. But here we wish to emphasize the need to strengthen the self-reliance and resilience of communities as it is one of the best ways to address root causes. Collaboration between communities and central and local governments based on mutual trust is also required. Based on this idea, Japan, together with UNDP, for example, Tunisia and other international partners, held a conference last July in Tunis to share good examples of Community-Oriented Policing model among security sector officials from 17 African countries.
We also underscore the need to protect forcibly displaced people, including refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) through supporting local communities to find durable solutions.
This leads to my third point: critical importance of African ownership with international partnerships. As our Prime Minister Kishida stated on the occasion of TICAD8 last year, Japan aspires to be “a partner growing together with Africa.” It will help realize the resilient Africa that Africa itself seeks to become.
In this regard, realizing economic development and addressing inequality is critically important. We are proud of being consistent partner of Africa, working on tailored, sustainable and transparent cooperation of quality based on the ownership of each country and region. Such cooperation covers extensive areas such as health, education, agriculture, capacity building, climate change, green economy physical and institutional infrastructure, etc.
We also support Africa's own conflict prevention and peacekeeping efforts. We assist through capacity-building for PKO personnel in close cooperation with the United Nations. Japan has also been supporting the AU Peace Fund, with the aim of training human resources in the AU, RECs, and some African countries. Furthermore, consultations between the AUPSC are important to address common security challenges. We also value the work by the Peacebuilding Commission with its unique advising, bridging and convening role on peacebuilding.
To conclude, these three points — addressing root causes; approaches at sub-regional, national, local, and community levels; and African ownership with international partnerships — are the basis of Japan’s policy toward peace and stability in Africa. Stability is a prerequisite if Africa is to unleash the potential of its people, and essential for realizing African development. We are fully committed to partnering with Africa to achieve this goal so that the guns can be silenced at last.
Development policies in the implementation of the Silencing the Guns campaign are extremely important and we commend Mozambique for holding an open debate on this matter. With this in mind, I would like to highlight three points that Japan considers essential for today’s topic.
First, addressing the root causes of conflict and terrorism is indispensable for regional stability. The vulnerability of state and local institutions is one of the fundamental causes of conflicts and terrorism. Preventing the creation of an environment where young people are attracted to extremism is necessary. Based on this recognition, Japan promotes institution building and the strengthening of governance, including legislative, administrative and judicial systems.
Consolidation of democracy and good governance under the rule of law is crucial for peace and stability, which enables sustainable development in Africa. In this regard, broad, inclusive, and democratic public participation including by women and youth in national and local governance is essential.
Second, approaches at sub-regional, national, local, and community levels as well as human security approach are needed. We cannot emphasize too much the important role played by AU and other African sub-regional groups. But here we wish to emphasize the need to strengthen the self-reliance and resilience of communities as it is one of the best ways to address root causes. Collaboration between communities and central and local governments based on mutual trust is also required. Based on this idea, Japan, together with UNDP, for example, Tunisia and other international partners, held a conference last July in Tunis to share good examples of Community-Oriented Policing model among security sector officials from 17 African countries.
We also underscore the need to protect forcibly displaced people, including refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) through supporting local communities to find durable solutions.
This leads to my third point: critical importance of African ownership with international partnerships. As our Prime Minister Kishida stated on the occasion of TICAD8 last year, Japan aspires to be “a partner growing together with Africa.” It will help realize the resilient Africa that Africa itself seeks to become.
In this regard, realizing economic development and addressing inequality is critically important. We are proud of being consistent partner of Africa, working on tailored, sustainable and transparent cooperation of quality based on the ownership of each country and region. Such cooperation covers extensive areas such as health, education, agriculture, capacity building, climate change, green economy physical and institutional infrastructure, etc.
We also support Africa's own conflict prevention and peacekeeping efforts. We assist through capacity-building for PKO personnel in close cooperation with the United Nations. Japan has also been supporting the AU Peace Fund, with the aim of training human resources in the AU, RECs, and some African countries. Furthermore, consultations between the AUPSC are important to address common security challenges. We also value the work by the Peacebuilding Commission with its unique advising, bridging and convening role on peacebuilding.
To conclude, these three points — addressing root causes; approaches at sub-regional, national, local, and community levels; and African ownership with international partnerships — are the basis of Japan’s policy toward peace and stability in Africa. Stability is a prerequisite if Africa is to unleash the potential of its people, and essential for realizing African development. We are fully committed to partnering with Africa to achieve this goal so that the guns can be silenced at last.