第74回国連総会議題74「海洋及び海洋法」における町田参事官ステートメント
令和元年12月10日
(As delivered)
Mr. President,
At the outset, I would like to thank Ms. Natalie Morris Sharma of Singapore and Mr. Andreas Kravik of Norway for their excellent coordination on the two draft resolutions under Agenda Item 74: Oceans and the Law of the Sea. Japan also wishes to express its appreciation for the contributions of our fellow Member States and for the invaluable support of the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS).
This year we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the entry into force of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Japan supports the universality of UNCLOS, which regulates freedom of navigation, freedom on the high seas, the peaceful settlement of disputes, and the protection and preservation of the marine environment. We firmly believe that it is the responsibility of and would be beneficial to the entire international community to promote and develop an ever more predictable maritime order under UNCLOS.
In this connection, we would further like to stress the importance of open seas and the rule of law as the basis for peace and prosperity in every part of the oceans of the world including the South China Sea. We embrace the international law of the sea based primarily on UNCLOS as indispensable for securing our maritime rights and interests as well as for undertaking maritime activities smoothly. We will continue to make every effort to promote and maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific.
This year’s draft resolution, “Oceans and the Law of the Sea”, confirms our commitment to a rules-based maritime order and covers a wide range of oceanic issues. Japan is pleased to co-sponsor the draft resolution.
Mr. President,
Japan remains engaged on promoting the law of the sea. Let me introduce some examples.
This October in Hamburg and Tokyo, Japan co-hosted symposiums celebrating the 25th anniversary of UNCLOS. We will continue to proactively contribute to the international order at sea, which UNCLOS clearly sets out, as well as to the propagation of the rule of law at sea.
Japan has been contributing actively to international organizations established under UNCLOS with both human and financial resources. This year, a Japanese contractor, “Deep Ocean Resources Development (DORD),” offered a training programme including onboard training at sea for candidates from developing states in order to support developing countries’ capacity-building and to help them acquire practical, hands-on skills to allow for their full participation in the exploitation of the deep seabed. Japan hopes that these trainees will take full advantage of this opportunity and play active roles in maritime affairs in their home countries.
Japan recognizes the importance of conserving Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, or BBNJ. We support the development of a well-balanced, effective and universal legally binding instrument under UNCLOS on the conservation and sustainable use of BBNJ, and have actively contributed to the discussions.
Mr. President,
At the G20 Osaka Summit, we shared our “Osaka Blue Ocean Vision” and endorsed the new “G20 Implementation Framework for Actions on Marine Plastic Litter” to tackle the issue of marine plastic waste on a global scale. Under these initiatives, Japan has taken on a leading role toward the realization of no additional marine pollution.
Japan attaches great importance to combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, or IUU fishing, which threatens the sustainable use of living marine resources. In the G20 Osaka Leader’s Declaration, we recognized the importance of addressing IUU fishing to ensure the sustainable use of marine resources and conserve the marine environment including its biodiversity, and reaffirmed our commitment to eliminate IUU fishing. Since Japan places strong emphasis on the rule of law in the Arctic, we have actively participated in the negotiation of the “Agreement to Prevent Unregulated High Seas Fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean” and acceded to the agreement this year. In addition, we stress that the importance of major port States becoming parties to the Agreement on Port State Measures has been recognized in the draft Sustainable Fisheries Resolution this year. The significance of this agreement in addressing IUU fishing cannot be overstated, and we encourage States that have not yet concluded the agreement to do so.
Japan presented concrete measures at the sixth “Our Ocean” conference in October such as the “MARINE initiative” toward the realization of the “Osaka Blue Ocean Vision” to advance effective actions to combat marine plastic litter. To enhance the ability of Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), Japan has begun operation of MDA Situation Indication Linkages (MSILs), which provide greater understanding of marine security and thus help ensure safe maritime activities and maintain the openness and stability of the oceans. In addition, Japan is providing capacity-building assistance to marine law enforcement agencies to combat maritime crimes, and continuing its efforts to address IUU fishing. We look forward to further continuing our contribution at the seventh “Our Ocean” conference in Palau next year.
Mr. President,
Japan, as a member of the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, has proactively engaged in discussions, and will continue to work with other countries in preparation for the 2020 United Nations Ocean Conference.
Finally, we appreciate the role of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) of FAO, the only specialized agency of the United Nations with technical expertise on fisheries. Japan, as one of the first vice chairs of the Committee, will further contribute to international discussions on living marine resources.
Mr. President,
In closing, let me reiterate Japan’s wish that the draft resolutions before us, which are the result of intensive and cooperative work by the Member States, will be duly adopted by the General Assembly.
I thank you.