Statement by Mr. Takeshi Akahori
Minister of the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations
on Agenda Item 73(a) “Oceans and the Law of the Sea”
7 December 2016

 

 

Mr. President, Excellencies and Distinguished Delegates,

 

          Japan is a country surrounded entirely by the sea.  Every year, Japanese celebrate a “Marine Day,” a national holiday on the third Monday in July to express gratitude to the blessings of the sea and to pray for prosperity as a maritime nation. 

          Since ancient times, the sea has blessed us with food, and it continues to provide trade routes with all countries.  Japan’s activities on matters related to oceans and the law of the sea are based on this sense of gratitude.

 

(The Rule of Law at Sea)

Mr. President,

 

          Japan is happy to co-sponsor the draft resolution on the Oceans and the Law of the Sea with more than thirty Member States.

          “Open and Stable Seas” are essential for peace and prosperity of the international community as a whole, and it is necessary to maintain and promote them. Therefore, the promotion of the rule of law at sea is extremely important.  That is why Prime Minister Abe has emphasized the following Three Principles on the Rule of Law at Sea: first, states shall make and clarify their claims based on international law.  Second, states shall not use force or coercion in trying to drive their claims.  Third, states shall seek to settle disputes by peaceful means.

          The draft resolution includes the spirit of all these principles. By adopting this resolution, Member States can express their collective will to uphold these principles.

 

(International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS))

          Japan welcomes that the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea is playing an increasingly important role in the peaceful resolution of maritime disputes. We congratulate the Tribunal on its 20th anniversary. We sincerely hope that the Tribunal will contribute to strengthening the rule of law at sea through the accumulation of important judgments.  Japan’s support for the 20th anniversary symposium in Hamburg this October is a symbol of our high regard for the tribunal and its continued role.  Japan is the largest assessed contributor to ITLOS and will continue to support its activities by providing highly qualified legal professionals.

 

(International Seabed Authority)

          Japan appreciates the International Seabed Authority’s steady implementation of its mandate to build a maritime legal order concerning the Area.  A balanced approach to the exploitation of the deep seabed which takes environmental conservation into account is needed.

          Japan will continue to contribute to constructive discussions on formulating an exploitation code that strikes a reasonable balance between exploitation and the environment.  Japan will also continue to be actively engaged with the work of the Authority, whose importance is ever increasing, in terms of human and financial resources.  We are committed to proactively contributing to the development of a legal order for the deep seabed through the Authority. 

 

(Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS))

          Japan recognizes the important role played by the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) and has consistently contributed human and financial resources in support of its activities.  We decided to nominate Prof. Toshitsugu Yamazaki of the University of Tokyo as a candidate for next year’s elections to the Commission.  Prof. Yamazaki is one of Japan’s most prominent marine geologists.  We are confident that he would join the line of Japanese members of the Commission, including current member Prof. Urabe, in making a strong contribution to the work of the Commission. 

          We are contributing to enable the participation of members of the Commission from developing countries.  For that purpose, as part of our financial support to the Commission, we have contributed approximately 56,000 dollars this year to the Trust Fund. We are looking into further expanding this contribution next year.  We hope that our contributions, together with those of all other Member States, will lead to continued and rapid progress of the work of the Commission.

 

(Maritime Safety and Security)

          The world unfortunately continues to confront a wide range of non-traditional maritime security challenges at sea.  As a country that benefits from maritime trade, Japan believes it is vital to respond to piracy and armed robbery which endanger sea lanes.  We are a proud contributor to international anti-piracy efforts on this front.

          Japan has deployed its Self-Defense Forces for anti-piracy operations off the Somalia Coast and in the Gulf of Aden continuously since 2009.  Also in Asia, we have contributed human and financial resources to the activities of the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP), which celebrated its 10th anniversary this year.

          Japan has provided seamless support to coastal states seeking to increase their capacity to strengthen maritime law enforcement.  This support includes ODA, defense equipment cooperation, and capacity building assistance, with the goal of securing the rule of law.  We hope to further enhance this assistance going forward.

 

(Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ))

          Last year, a General Assembly resolution launched a consultative process to develop an international legally binding instrument under UNCLOS on the conservation and sustainable use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ).  Japan welcomes two sessions of the Preparatory Committee this year for this purpose.

          Japan recognizes the great importance of the conservation and sustainable use of BBNJ, and will continue to actively support the Preparatory Committee’s work to develop a well-balanced, international legally binding instrument that benefits the entire international community.

 

(UN Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14)

Mr. President,

 

          Finally, with regard to SDGs of relevance to the ocean, we welcome the plans to hold in New York next year the high-level United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of SDG14.

 

          Before concluding, Japan would like to thank the delegation of South Africa for its important role in facilitating this resolution.  We are also grateful to all Member States and the Secretariat for their support during the informal consultations.  Japan is confident that this same spirit of cooperation will continue with adoption in the General Assembly.

 

Thank you, Mr. President.