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H.E. Mr. Koichi Haraguchi
Permanent Representative of Japan
At the Public Meeting of the Security Council on Threats
to International Peace and Security Caused by Terrorist Acts
23 July 2003
Mr. President,
It has been observed repeatedly that, as technology advances and globalization continues, international terrorism becomes all the more immense a threat to international peace and security, for the following reasons:
- First, terrorism is an attempt to materialize the terroristfs claims by creating terror and fear and is thus completely incompatible with the principal purpose of the United Nations, that is to say, the establishment of a fair and decent world based on the rule of law;
- Second, the terrorist not only threatens the world through terrorism itself but also jeopardizes the attainment of a civilized order by engaging in and promoting the illicit trafficking of drugs and export of arms for the purpose of acquiring funds and means;
- And third, as the notion of deterrence is basically ineffective in preventing terrorism, the acquisition of weapons of mass destruction by terrorists, once accomplished, will lead to the unimaginable horror of the disaster caused by the use of such weapons.
We must therefore resolutely take action against terrorism.
Mr. President,
There has been a series of terrorist incidents recently in countries such as Morocco, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Yemen. Much remains to be done, despite the tremendous efforts made so far by the international community. It is therefore now more important than ever for all members of the international community to show the political will to take forceful counter-terrorism measures, and to have the capacity to implement them. As for the matter of political will, many countries have expressed their resolve with respect to this issue on numerous occasions, but these nations also need to give substance to their words by taking actions such as becoming parties to all of the counter-terrorism conventions and protocols.
Concerning capacity, it is increasingly more important that assistance for capacity-building be extended to developing countries, and Japan greatly appreciates the clearing-house function performed by the CTC in this regard. Information and knowledge accumulated through the assistance matrix and the exchange of letters between the CTC and member states are very useful tools in promoting international counter-terrorism capacity-building, and we welcome the current 90 days work programme of the CTC, expressing its intention to further strengthen such efforts.
Mr. President,
Japan more than once has stressed that, in combating terrorism, it is essential, first, to deny terrorists the means to commit terrorist acts by preventing the financing of terrorism and denying access to false documents such as passports and to weapons; second, to deny terrorists safe haven and ensure that they are prosecuted or extradited for prosecution; and third, to overcome vulnerability to terrorism by enhancing domestic security measures and crisis- and consequence-management capabilities. The importance of these measures was confirmed in the G8 Action Plan adopted on the occasion of the G8 Evian Summit held in June of this year. The G8 countries have established the Counter Terrorism Action Group (CTAG) in order to assist the CTC pursuant to the Action Plan, and the Group has already embarked on its activities. Japan, as a member of the G8 and CTAG, continues to cooperate in the activities of the CTC.
Mr. President,
Japan is also accelerating efforts at bilateral cooperation in combating terrorism. The Russian Federation-Japan Consultation on Counter-Terrorism held on June 23 and 24 in Moscow, the Japan-Indonesia Joint Announcement on Fighting against International Terrorism issued on June 24, and the Australia-Japan Joint Statement on Cooperation to Combat International Terrorism released last week are indicative of such cooperation, and we remain committed to working towards capacity-building in the Asia-Pacific region, in particular, through similar cooperative efforts.
Mr. President,
Combating terrorism is a difficult task involving an invisible enemy, but "invisible" does not necessarily mean "invincible". The international community must continue to make an all-out effort to create a world order that will preclude all terrorist acts.
Thank you very much, Mr. President. |
