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Statement by Ambassador Motohide Yoshikawa
Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations
At the Open Debate of the United Nations Security Council
on the Situation in the Middle East
27 March 2015
Mr. President,
I would like to pay tribute to His Excellency Mr. Laurent Fabius, Minister of Foreign Affairs of France, for his initiative in convening today’s meeting on the victims of attacks and abuses on ethnic or religious grounds in the Middle East.
I would also like to thank His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, and His Royal Highness Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al-Hussein, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, for their briefings.
Mr. President,
Extremists such as the so-called “ISIL” have been deliberately persecuting ethnic and religious minorities in the Middle East. The convening of today’s meeting is thus opportune and relevant. We need to mobilize ourselves against terrorists’ attempts to eradicate the diversity of the social fabric of the region.
Their victims of violent extremism are not limited to ethnic and religious minorities. Violent extremism has led to the killing of a considerable number of citizens of all backgrounds in the Middle East. At the beginning of this year, Mr. Haruna Yukawa and Mr. Kenji Goto, both Japanese citizens, were also brutally murdered by ISIL.
My government firmly condemns such inhumane and despicable acts of terrorism. ISIL and other extremists reject the rule of law upon which the international community is based. They pose a serious threat to the international community.
Mr. President,
Faced with these barbaric acts, we must work together to fight against violent extremism. Allow me to present two undertakings that Japan has been making to that end.
First, Japan supports Middle Eastern countries in building counter-terrorism capacities. Japan has specifically decided to contribute 15.5 million dollars, with a view to enhancing its capacity for investigation and prosecution, border control, as well as strengthening counter-terrorism legislation.
Japan is also steadily implementing the relevant Security Council resolutions related to counter-terrorism, while cooperating with partner countries to strengthen international frameworks for counter-terrorism.
Second, Japan provides assistance in creating societies that are resilient to radicalization. We believe that the best way to nip violence in the bud is to bring stability to people’s livelihoods by fostering a middle class, even if it takes time. Our assistance thus includes a youth employment policy, the improvement of income disparities, and assistance in education. Expanding people-to-people exchanges is also part of our cooperation program.
For instance, we supported the establishment of Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST) in 2010. This institution has been developing human resources that are expected to play leading roles in achieving economic and social development in the Middle East and Africa.
As a country located in Asia, Japan will continue to strengthen its partnership with ASEAN countries to promote moderation in the region. Japan will host workshops and seminars on countering radicalization in Asia.
Mr. President,
While making our efforts to combat violent extremism, Japan will continue to carry forward its diplomacy towards stability and prosperity in the Middle East. In January, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan underscored, in a policy speech in Cairo, the idea of “the Best Way to Go is in the Middle”, or in Arabic, “Khair Al-Umuri Ausatoha”. This Middle Eastern ancestral saying encourages people to embrace moderation to stabilize their livelihoods.
In this speech, Prime Minister Abe pledged humanitarian assistance totaling 200 million dollars for those countries fighting against ISIL in the region and the money has already been disbursed.
Japan will also continue to contribute to promoting regional cooperation in the Middle East and to stabilizing its societies and economies through economic assistance. Japan’s “Corridor for Peace and Prosperity” initiative in Palestine, starting with its Jericho Agro-Industrial Park project, is part of such efforts.
The international community must stand firm against violent extremism. I would like to reiterate Japan’s determination to play an active part in this endeavor.
I thank you, Mr. President.
