H.E. MR. YUKIO SATOH

Permanent Representative of Japan

At the Open Debate of the Security Council on The Issue of Small Arms

2 August 2001

Mr. President,

I would like to thank you for your initiative in holding this open debate in a very timely manner. It is indeed encouraging that the Security Council remains engaged with this important issue, which has such profound implications for international security.

I would also like to express our appreciation to the Government of Colombia and particularly Ambassador Camilo Reyes for the constructive role they played in leading the UN Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects to the adoption of the Programme of Action.

Mr. President,

The Japanese Government has actively participated in international efforts to address the issue of small arms ever since then Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali first brought the problem to the attention of the international community in 1995. Building upon the recommendations of the Panel of Experts and the Group of Governmental Experts on Small Arms, both of which were chaired by Ambassador Mitsuro Donowaki, the Japanese Government introduced the General Assembly resolution that led to the convening of the Conference on Small Arms.

The Conference on Small Arms yet again impressed upon all those who associated with it the tragic suffering that small arms have inflicted upon people all over the world, and reaffirmed the urgent need to halt the excessive accumulation and illicit transfer of these weapons.

The Programme of Action the Conference adopted will certainly prove to be an historic first step in addressing the complicated issue of small arms, although we are aware that not all of the participating countries are fully satisfied with the measures contained in it.

In this context, we would like to take this opportunity to recognize the significant contribution that the African countries made for the success of the conference, both at the preparatory stage under the able leadership of Ambassador Dos Santos of Mozambique and, most importantly, at the closing moments of the Conference when they displayed a commendable political will to agree to a painful compromise in order to ensure the adoption of the Programme of Action by consensus. It is now incumbent upon the international community to make the Programme of Action truly meaningful for the countries in Africa severely affected by small arms.

I must hasten to add, Mr. President, that the countries suffering from the scourge of small arms are not confined to Africa. As Japan's Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Seiken Sugiura, stressed at the conference, it is the responsibility of the international community to extend support and assistance in response to the aspirations and will of the people in all the affected countries and regions.

We regard that each one of the 14 recommendations the Secretary-General has made in the second report before us is crucially important in order to make tangible progress in coping with this difficult task. We therefore urge the Security Council to give serious attention to them as it considers any action to follow up the previous resolution.

Mr. President,

It is now up to all of us to ensure that the Programme of Action will be effectively implemented, and to foster even greater international cooperation to free the world from the threat of small arms.

The Japanese Government, for its part, plans to host a meeting of experts at the beginning of next year, with a view to furthering cooperation with countries that are committed to resolving this issue.

The Japanese Government is also planning to expand, possibly in cooperation with other donor countries and UN agencies, weapons-for-development projects to Africa, the Balkans, and the Asia-Pacific region, based upon the pilot project Japan has developed with the European Union in Cambodia. Furthermore, we are planning to conduct research on past small arms collection projects, with a view to establishing guidelines for future efforts.

I would also like to add that for the purpose of ensuring the effective implementation of the Programme of Action and also of further improving the regime, it is important to convene a review conference within the next several years.

Mr. President,

In closing, I would like to call upon the Security Council, which has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, to pay particular attention to the issue of small arms when it considers concrete conflict prevention measures.

The mandates of peacekeeping operations established by the Council address small arms issues in various ways, such as the collection and storage of weapons. Disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) efforts have also become typical features of recent peacekeeping operations.

More importantly, the establishment of peacekeeping operations provides the international community with valuable opportunities to improve and develop the way it deals with the issue of small arms. The issue must inevitably be addressed on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the local conditions involved. In this context, due consideration should be given to the issue of small arms when the Security Council sends a fact finding mission to an area of conflict.

Because the Council could be a driving force in the effort to overcome the threat of small arms, we would encourage it to remain mindful of its responsibility and to continue to pay careful attention to activities undertaken by various countries and organizations to the same end.