(As delivered)

STATEMENT BY H.E. MR. TOSHIRO OZAWA

AMBASSADOR OF JAPAN

AT THE PUBLIC MEETING OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL

ON THE SITUATION IN TIMOR-LESTE

16 MAY 2005

Madam President,

Thank you for convening this very timely public meeting, as Timor-Leste goes through the transition from UNMISET, a PKO to UNOTIL, a special political mission focusing on peace-building.

At the outset, we note with satisfaction the tangible achievements and progress made during UNMISET’s so-called “Final Consolidation Phase” over the past year, especially the improvements seen in the security situation, state institutions and capacities, and in the promotion of democracy and human rights. The recent peaceful resolution of the demonstrations initiated by Church leaders, as described in the Secretary-General’s report, exemplifies the consolidation of democracy in Timor-Leste. We also highly commend the recent strengthening of Timor-Leste’s relations with neighboring countries, including Indonesia.

Madam President,

Recognizing the continuing need for assistance from the international community for institutional capacity building in Timor-Leste, including in the areas of the judiciary and the police, my government welcomes the unanimous adoption by the Security Council of resolution 1599 (S/RES/1599(2005)), authorizing the establishment of UNOTIL.

We would like to express our appreciation to SRSG Hasegawa and his staff in UNMISET for their unstinting efforts to assist the government and people of Timor-Leste in moving the peace and development processes forward. We expect that the UN, other international organizations, and Member States will continue to provide assistance for nation-building in Timor-Leste for the remaining one-year period, with UNOTIL at their center. The coming year will represent the final demonstration of the UN’s direct contribution to Timor-Leste. In order to make this effort a success, Japan will provide strong and sustained support in Timor-Leste. UNOTIL, in our view, should fulfill a coordinating role in order to effectively combine all bilateral and multilateral assistance for the future sustainable development of Timor-Leste.

Madam President,

Japan, as a friend in Asia, has participated substantively in the efforts to assist Timor-Leste in its process of maintaining peace and consolidating the gains of peace, through UNMISET and other multilateral and bilateral frameworks. At the Timor-Leste and Development Partners’ Meeting held in Dili in April, Japan pledged to continue and strengthen our bilateral support to Timor-Leste, which has included dispatching experts for human resources training and institutional capacity building.

Madam President,

Finally, my government believes that peacekeeping operations must have clear completion strategies. PKO recipient countries should keep this point in mind and make their utmost efforts to attain self-sufficiency. In this regard, Timor-Leste offers a significant example of a country in which the completion strategy is being accomplished through the tireless efforts of the United Nations and the recipient country. Japan hopes to see other PKOs redouble their efforts to fulfill their mandates, in accordance with the completion strategies appropriate to the specific situation on the ground.

Thank you, Madam President.