At the 2004 UN Security Council Elections held on the morning of October 15th in New York, Japan succeeded in being elected as the only candidate from the Asian region, winning a total of 184 votes.

As a result, Japan will serve as a non-permanent member of the Council for a two-year term beginning January 1, 2005 and ending December 31, 2006. This is the ninth time that Japan has been a non-permanent member of the Security Council, tying Brazil for the most number of terms that a country has served in this capacity.

As a Security Council member, Japan intends to proactively address new challenges that the international community faces, such as terrorism and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, as well as regional issues such as Iraq, Afghanistan, and Africa. Japan also intends to be a driving force in the comprehensive struggle to establish peace in troubled regions or in areas where problems seem likely to occur. This strategy includes nation-building through conflict prevention and peacekeeping.

Related Information:
City of Yokohama
UNICEF