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Statement by Prof. Arino Yaguchi
Alternate Representative of Japan
Item 64: Promotion and protection of the rights of children
Third Committee
69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
New York
16 October 2014
Madam Chair,
It is the mission of the international community as a whole, including Japan, to support the children of the world in moving towards a bright future and living a life without fear or violence. On behalf of Japan I pay my sincerest respects to those UN agencies carrying out this mission by engaging in a variety of efforts.
However, as it stands now, many children still face appalling conditions of poverty, disease, conflict, sexual exploitation, human trafficking, and other threats. The world is not yet a place where all children can live their lives free of fear. For this reason, Japan is working tirelessly to protect and promote the rights of children in accordance with the principles of human security, which focuses on different needs of each and every individual, as well as their protection and capacity-building.
Madam Chair,
The education of children is crucial, not only for the economic and social development of society, but also to improve each individual child's future capacity and ability to live with respect and dignity. However, many children, especially girls, are not permitted or unable to attend school due to financial, cultural, or security-related reasons. Japan has implemented a number of projects and supports in numerous countries aimed at the improvement of these unbearable conditions.
In Nigeria, the extremist Islamic group, Boko Haram, abducted 276 girls from their school in Chibok on 14 April. 223 of them are still missing. The elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls is an issue which requires the international community to take concerted efforts. In this regard, on 13 June, the Government of Japan contributed 855,000 dollars toward healthcare and psychosocial support for the victims and their community in Nigeria.
Madam Chair,
Child soldiers are not merely deprived of their right to education but also of their right to have a childhood at all. Their reintegration into society comes with difficulty. This is a heavy loss for society as a whole. In this regard, we welcome the "Children, not Soldiers" campaign. I commend the initiatives taken by Special Representative Ms. Zerrougui and the Executive Director of UNICEF, Mr. Lake, in starting this campaign. We support this initiative, and join in its efforts to eliminate the recruitment and use of children by government armed forces in conflict by 2016.
Japan has provided support for the reintegration of child soldiers into society in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, both through bilateral assistance and through international organizations. Japan has extended approximately 76 million dollars over the past five years for the reintegration of child soldiers into society. This support -by protecting and empowering children who are most vulnerable in armed conflict- is an application of the concept of human security.
Madam Chair,
The current outbreak of Ebola has had devastating consequences for children in the affected regions. It is not just that children are more susceptible to infection by the virus; UNICEF announced that at least 3,700 children have been orphaned in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone since the outbreak of the disease.
Japan will do everything possible to fight the Ebola disease. As a response to the Ebola outbreak in particular, we have sent highly knowledgeable and experienced Japanese experts as members of the WHO mission. Furthermore, Prime Minister Abe pledged at the UN General Assembly to extend additional assistance in the amount of 40 million dollars specifically to combat the Ebola outbreak through international organizations such as UNICEF and WFP in addition to the emergency aid we have already provided.
Madam Chair,
Japan concluded the Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction this year, and our Act on the Implementation of this Convention was enacted in April. Japan will implement the treaty in good faith, and address the issues of child abduction according to the international rules.
Cases of child pornography have been increasing in Japan. Most of them are related to the Internet. Government ministries and agencies are conducting measures such as upgrading the effectiveness of systems to block child pornography on the Internet, arrest heinous perpetrators of child pornography, and so forth. This June, a revised law against child prostitution and pornography was established, and now, mere possession of child pornography for the purpose of satisfying one's own sexual curiosity is a punishable crime, placing Japan in line with the international standard.
Madam Chair,
Japan expresses its congratulations on 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Japan ratified the convention in 1994, and so this year also marks the 20th anniversary of that occasion. Japan will continue to engage constructively toward the empowerment and protection of the rights of children in accordance with the principles of human security.
Thank you.
