(As Delivered)
Statement by Shinsuke Shimizu
Minister, Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations
At the Second Thematic Meeting of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the
Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly
April 14, 2015
Thank you, Co-Chairs.
I would like to thank you for convening today’s meeting and for the leadership shown by your Excellencies to move this process forward. I would also like to extend my sincere gratitude to Chairs of the main committees for your detailed briefing.
Co-Chairs,
Regarding today’s topic, “the working methods of the General Assembly,” Japan strongly believes that this is an area where concrete results can and should be achieved. Improving the working methods is crucial for the General Assembly to function in an effective and efficient manner.
The joint letter submitted by the Chairs with the concrete suggestions merits positive consideration in view of the need to jumpstart after the Post 2015 Summit. However, regarding advancing the election of the Chairs of the main committees, we need to find a practical solution to the fact that there might be inconsistencies with the date of official election of PGA scheduled in June.
To improve working method, Japan welcomes the adoption of General Assembly Resolution 68/307 last session. In particular, the decision to move the election dates of the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council to earlier ones is being highly appreciated. We believe it will definitely resolve the legitimate concerns of newly-elected members that ample time should be provided for them to prepare for their new membership.
Co-Chairs,
It is true that in previous sessions we made such meaningful achievements regarding the working methods of the General Assembly; however, much more has to be done and much more effort is needed. I would like to offer some comments on some specific aspects of the issue.
Enhancing fairness in the management of this United Nations body remains an important aspect for discussion. We argued last year during this same occasion that the speakers list during the High-level week in September should more closely reflect reality. Countries like mine, in which the Head of State plays a ceremonial role and the Head of Government has the highest political mandate, should be dealt with as such in determining his slot on the speakers list. It is appreciated that last year’s General Assembly has reflected on our argument to some extent, and it is expected that this trend continues this year.
We would also like to stress the importance of strict adherence to time restraints for each speaker. In this regard, it is highly appreciated that President Kutesa starts each meeting on time during the current session. The General Assembly needs to continue discussions to achieve disciplined management.
Rationalization of the General Assembly’s work is an urgent challenge. As the amount of tasks in the GA has increased, agenda prioritization has been indispensable. Through sorting more than 170 GA agendas, as well as biennialization and triennialization of agendas which have currently been discussed every year, the work of the GA should be rationalized; however, the process still has a long way to go. For instance, late-night sessions have become more common in some main committees of the GA. We hope such situations should be improved upon immediately.
Co-Chairs,
These are some ideas which Japan believes are worth discussing under this topic. The Revitalization of the General Assembly is, together with the reform of the Security Council, an imminent task that we have to address. Among others, we believe that improving the working methods is crucial and urgently needed. Let me finalize my statement by saying that Japan stands ready to contribute in a constructive way to the discussions aimed at further enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of the UN.
I thank you, Co-Chairs.
