海洋安全保障に関する安保理ハイレベル公開ビデオ会合における石兼大使ステートメント
令和3年8月9日
Mr. President,
I would like to welcome India’s initiative in convening this historic Security Council meeting to discuss the issue of maritime security for the first time. This Open Debate is an important and necessary reminder to the Council of how crucial it is to maintain international peace and security at sea.
As an island nation, Japan is committed to a free, open and secure maritime space, which provides an essential basis for the beneficial and peaceful uses of the oceans for everyone. With this conviction, Japan has strived to contribute to maritime security in close cooperation with our fellow Member States.
In the area of maritime crime, one of the notable initiatives that Japan proposed is the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) and its Information Sharing Centre (ISC), which have proven to be useful tools in tackling piracy and sea robbery in Asia. Capacity-building is essential in promoting the safety and security of the maritime domain. Japan is proud to have provided vessels and equipment to countries in need in the Asian region and beyond, and sent out its experts around the globe, including to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Global Maritime Crime Programme (GMCP). Our efforts extend to supporting the law enforcement and justice sectors in countries such as those off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Guinea. Japan’s fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing also includes keen support to developing countries.
Mr. President,
Japan welcomes the recent establishment of the Group of Friends of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), whose stated objectives include the “peaceful settlement of maritime disputes based on UNCLOS”. This exemplifies the widely shared recognition of the critical importance of the rule of law at sea.
UNCLOS is indeed key to preventing and addressing threats to international peace and security concerning the maritime domain and needs to be fully upheld, regardless of the size of a nation. Unilateral attempts by force or coercion to change the status quo and complicate or negatively affect maritime security and safety should be strongly opposed.
Let me highlight a few points in this context for the attention of the Council.
- Firstly, a maritime order, which serves as a basis for maritime security, should be pre-dictable for all Member States and, therefore, should be built on UNCLOS, which is also re-ferred to as “the Constitution of the Oceans”.
- Secondly, given the universality and comprehensiveness of UNCLOS, all maritime rights and claims must be based on its relevant provisions. It is also critical to respect fundamental principles of UNCLOS including freedom of navigation and overflight.
- Lastly, all maritime disputes need to be peacefully resolved in accordance with UNCLOS, including through final decisions of international courts or tribunals. We need to be reminded once again that the award of the Arbitral Tribunal related to the South China Sea is final and legally binding.
In concluding, allow me to reiterate Japan’s firm belief that the oceans must be free, open and secure based upon the rule of law. Japan is committed to promote international cooperation in its immediate region and beyond, and ready to further contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security at sea.
I thank you.
I would like to welcome India’s initiative in convening this historic Security Council meeting to discuss the issue of maritime security for the first time. This Open Debate is an important and necessary reminder to the Council of how crucial it is to maintain international peace and security at sea.
As an island nation, Japan is committed to a free, open and secure maritime space, which provides an essential basis for the beneficial and peaceful uses of the oceans for everyone. With this conviction, Japan has strived to contribute to maritime security in close cooperation with our fellow Member States.
In the area of maritime crime, one of the notable initiatives that Japan proposed is the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) and its Information Sharing Centre (ISC), which have proven to be useful tools in tackling piracy and sea robbery in Asia. Capacity-building is essential in promoting the safety and security of the maritime domain. Japan is proud to have provided vessels and equipment to countries in need in the Asian region and beyond, and sent out its experts around the globe, including to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Global Maritime Crime Programme (GMCP). Our efforts extend to supporting the law enforcement and justice sectors in countries such as those off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Guinea. Japan’s fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing also includes keen support to developing countries.
Mr. President,
Japan welcomes the recent establishment of the Group of Friends of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), whose stated objectives include the “peaceful settlement of maritime disputes based on UNCLOS”. This exemplifies the widely shared recognition of the critical importance of the rule of law at sea.
UNCLOS is indeed key to preventing and addressing threats to international peace and security concerning the maritime domain and needs to be fully upheld, regardless of the size of a nation. Unilateral attempts by force or coercion to change the status quo and complicate or negatively affect maritime security and safety should be strongly opposed.
Let me highlight a few points in this context for the attention of the Council.
- Firstly, a maritime order, which serves as a basis for maritime security, should be pre-dictable for all Member States and, therefore, should be built on UNCLOS, which is also re-ferred to as “the Constitution of the Oceans”.
- Secondly, given the universality and comprehensiveness of UNCLOS, all maritime rights and claims must be based on its relevant provisions. It is also critical to respect fundamental principles of UNCLOS including freedom of navigation and overflight.
- Lastly, all maritime disputes need to be peacefully resolved in accordance with UNCLOS, including through final decisions of international courts or tribunals. We need to be reminded once again that the award of the Arbitral Tribunal related to the South China Sea is final and legally binding.
In concluding, allow me to reiterate Japan’s firm belief that the oceans must be free, open and secure based upon the rule of law. Japan is committed to promote international cooperation in its immediate region and beyond, and ready to further contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security at sea.
I thank you.