(As delivered)

Statement by H.E. Ambassador Koro Bessho
Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations
At the Briefing of the United Nations Security Council on

Preventive Diplomacy and Transboundary Waters
6 June 2017

 

 

Mr. President,

 

          I would like to extend my warmest welcome to President Morales and to thank him for convening this meeting on this important subject of preventive diplomacy and trans-boundary waters, and for presiding the meeting himself. It is an excellent opportunity to build on the open debate held under the Senegalese presidency on water, peace and security last year. I would also like to thank the Secretary General for his insightful remarks.

 

          Sound and peaceful water resource development and management are crucial to achieving peace and prosperity. This was true in Japan, throughout its history of nation building and economic development. This must have been the same in most countries.

 

          When several countries share rivers, lakes, or aquifers, water management becomes a bigger challenge. Often, vying for scarce water resources led to conflicts or protracted existing ones among different States, ethnic groups and communities. External factors, such as climate change, population increase and environmental pollution may pose further pressure on the water resources, exacerbating the tension. 

 

          However, on many occasions, sharing water resources with due respect to the needs of others has brought adversaries together to achieve peace and prosperity. This is where we see the opportunity for cooperation, opportunity for preventive diplomacy. Cooperation between stakeholders in the area of water resources management can constitute a part of confidence-building measures and can prevent conflicts.

 

          The international community can contribute to confidence-building by facilitating dialogue on trans-boundary water issues or providing assistance to water management projects.

 

          Japan has long supported countries in improving water access, developing water management and governance capabilities, and in dealing with water-related challenges to promote stability and de-escalate underlying tensions.

 

          Japan has been a proud partner of the Central Asian nations to promote regional cooperation.  One of the many areas of cooperation is water. When Prime Minister Abe visited the region in 2015, he agreed with every leader of the five Central Asian states bilaterally that the issue of efficient use of natural resources was essential for sustainable development.

 

          Prime Minister Abe expressed the intention of Japan to cooperate with the regional countries for effective management and sustainable use of water resources in the region.

 

          For example, in Tajikistan, an upstream country which depends heavily on water-sourced power generation, Japan has promoted a project to improve the efficiency of hydro-electricty utilization. In central Uzbekistan, a down-stream country, Japan provides assistance for improving irrigation systems so that water can be supplied in more stable manner for agriculture, while at the same time cutting electricity consumption for the pumps. Japan believes that improving water management in both upstream and downstream countries benefits both countries, contributing not only to sustainable water use in the region but also to regional confidence building.

 

          Turning to Africa, in Sudan, Japan provides assistance to improve water supply in the eastern region and also create policy recommendations on integrated water resource management so that water related challenges can be dealt with in more systematic manner based on data. Japan also takes a multi-sectoral approach focused on water provision as well as capacity building in agriculture, health and rural governance. Considering that water has been one of the sources of conflict in Darfur and other regions, we believe that assistance in the area of water resource development and management increases confidence in post-conflict reconstruction efforts and leads to the stability of the society.

 

          Conflict can be prevented by accumulating areas of practical cooperation and building confidence. The experiences of Japan which I touched upon today are just a few examples of such cooperation. When trans-boundary water management becomes a diplomatic issue between nations, it goes without saying that seeking a peaceful solution is important. Interested countries may learn from other success stories that are being shared today.

 

          Japan will continue to support countries in improving water management and access as a building block for sustained peace and security.

 

Thank you Mr. President.