Statement by H.E. Mr. Tsuneo Nishida
Permanent Representative of Japan
to the United Nations
At the Briefings by the Chairs of Subsidiary Bodies
of the Security Council
16 May 2011

Mr. President,

At the outset, I would like to express my appreciation to the Chairs of the Council’s three counter-terrorism-related committees for their respective briefings on the developments during the last six months.

(The death of Usama Bin Laden)
Japan welcomes the recent remarkable progress in the field of counter-terrorism. Yet, the death of Usama Bin Laden does not mean the end of the fight against terrorism. The threat of terrorism remains serious, and it is necessary for the international community to cooperate closely in all areas of counter-terrorism. In this regard, the work of the three committees continues to be of high significance.

Mr. President,

(Strengthening the counter-terrorism capacity of Member States)
For strengthening of the counter-terrorism capacity of individual Member States, the enhancement of assistance for capacity-building is a matter of urgency.

We welcome the adoption of Security Council resolution 1977 and the decision contained therein regarding the 10-year extension of the mandate of the 1540 Committee. We commend that the resolution focuses on activities such as implementation, assistance, international cooperation and transparency. For implementation of the relevant resolutions, we must address the matter of Member States’ limited resources, expertise and capacity to fully implement the resolution. We must also increase awareness among Member States through assistance and outreach activities. In this regard, Japan is co-organizing a seminar to be held on the 31st of this month, to exchange views and experiences on non-proliferation, including with regard to resolutions 1540 and 1977. We will continue to cooperate with the activities of the 1540 Committee so that we may achieve the international objective of non-proliferation.

In order to strengthen counter-terrorism capacity, assessment of the shortfall of counter-terrorism measures in Member States is essential. In this regard, we attach great importance to the Preliminary Implementation Assessment (PIA) by the CTC as a crucial tool and consider country visits conducted by the CTC to be one of the most valuable mechanisms to make the PIA more effective. Such visits facilitate an accurate assessment of the current situation of counter-terrorism in a given country, as they provide direct contact with the relevant authorities. The CTC has decided to conduct a country visit to Japan by the end of 2013. We anticipate that the visit will be a good opportunity for Japan and the CTC to have a fruitful discussion on the implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions.

Japan will continue its efforts to strengthen its national capacity and to assist to the maximum extent possible in the enhancement of other countries’ counter-terrorism capacity, especially that of developing States.

Mr. President,

(Legitimacy and credibility of counter-terrorism measures)
Even after the death of Usama Bin Laden, Member States should continue to implement rigorously assets freezes and other relevant measures against him and individuals and entities associated with him.

In order for the 1267 sanctions regime to be fully effective, continued efforts to ensure the credibility of the Consolidated List are indispensable. To that end, Japan took active part in the negotiations for resolution 1904 as a member of the Security Council.

It is my hope that, at the review in June this year pursuant to resolution 1904, the legitimacy and credibility of the Consolidated List will be enhanced and the 1267 sanctions regime will be strengthened. In this regard, we call on the members of the Security Council, taking into account the obligations of the Member States under the Charter of the United Nations, to duly consider the proposals made by like-minded States, including Switzerland and Costa Rica.

Japan will continue to cooperate actively with the 1267 Committee, the Ombudsperson and the Monitoring Team.

Mr. President,

(Conclusion: 10th anniversary of 9.11)
As we approach the 10th anniversary of 9.11 and of the adoption of Security Council resolution 1373, Japan supports the initiative by the CTC to organize a special meeting open to the wider membership and relevant stakeholders. We expect that, as this year marks a milestone in our collective global counter-terrorism efforts, this meeting will provide a good opportunity for the international community to reflect on and review the progress made so far in the fight against terrorism.

At the same time, we strongly request that the three committees make a determined effort to enhance their mutual cooperation, while avoiding duplication of work, as well as to cooperate with Member States and other relevant organizations both inside and outside the UN to achieve our common goal of eradicating terrorism.

The Government of Japan will continue to take all possible measures to counter worldwide terrorism, and to cooperate positively and proactively in the efforts of the three committees.

Thank you.