(Check Against Delivery)
Statement by H.E. Mr. Motohide Yoshikawa
Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations
At the Open Debate of the Security Council
On Conflict Prevention
21 August 2014
Mr. President,
I would like to begin by expressing my sincere appreciation for your leadership in convening today's open debate. I am also grateful to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, for their briefings.
Japan would like to pay tribute to the U.N.'s efforts to improve on conflict prevention. We welcome the "Rights up Front" initiative launched by the Secretary-General last year. This initiative sets out to improve organizational preparedness by the U.N. to better deal with evolving crisis situations. Furthermore, Japan welcomes the Resolution adopted today.
I would like to underscore the necessity for the Council, the U.N. system and Member States to take appropriate measures quickly, before situations require large-scale action. It is also important to promote peacebuilding to prevent conflict relapses. According to the World Development Report 2011 issued by the World Bank, 90% of the conflicts that occurred from 2000 to 2009 were relapses.
Mr. President,
To tackle these issues, I would like to share with the Council Japan's experiences from two angles.
First, Japan, in its capacity as the Chair of the Working Group on Lessons Learned of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), has been leading the discussion on challenges that countries might face after the withdrawal of U.N. peace missions. The Working Group heard from three PBC agenda countries facing transitions, namely, Sierra Leone, Burundi and Liberia. This allowed us to deepen our consideration of the challenges and measures needed to prevent a relapse into conflict and to promote peacebuilding. Discussions led us to identify two major challenges faced by transitional countries after the withdrawal of U.N. peace missions. The first one is how to maintain financial sustainability. The second one is to ensure continuity of an inclusive political process.
To overcome these challenges, we need to consider a way to maintain the attention and commitment of the international community, as well as to strengthen the country's ownership and political engagement. In this regard, in my capacity as the chair of the Working Group, I will compile a report, by the end of this year, on the activities of the PBC's Working Group.
Furthermore, I believe the PBC can play a role in addressing the risk of recurrence during the transitional period, by monitoring the progress and reporting on the evolution of the political situation, if appropriate, to the Council. I hope the Council will further strengthen its coordination with the PBC to this end.
Mr. President,
Secondly, Japan, in its national capacity, has also contributed to assisting in conflict prevention and the consolidation of peace. Let me touch upon four examples of our endeavors.
First, Japan has provided post-conflict countries with seamless assistance for consolidation of peace, both bilaterally and through different multilateral channels. This is to assist them in their long journey from the establishment of peace to reconstruction. For example, in Afghanistan, we supported about 60,000 former combatants' disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR), and in Cambodia, we have supported the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, the removal of mines, as well as the withdrawal of small arms.
Second, Japan is also an active advocator of human security. Since 1999, Japan has contributed US$390 million to the U.N. Human Security Trust Fund. This contribution has greatly promoted conflict prevention and peacebuilding issues, such as the reinsertion of refugees, internally displaced people and ex-soldiers.
Third is our effort in Africa. Japan has actively supported African countries' own efforts to consolidate peace through the Tokyo International Conference on African Development process, known as "TICAD". Last year, TICAD V was held in Yokohama, Japan. On that occasion, Japan announced financial assistance amounting to US$550 million for peacebuilding in Africa, and in particular for the Sahel to Somalia belt and Great Lakes Region. We have been steadily implementing our commitments.
Lastly, Japan promotes the role of women in preventing conflict as well as consolidating peace. At the national level, we are in the process of elaborating a National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security pursuant to Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) with civil society through the active participation of women. At the international level, Japan is actively engaged in assisting the empowerment of women in terms of supporting comprehensive peace efforts. Our efforts range from the training of female mediators to reinforce the community's ability to prevent a dispute from evolving into a future conflict, to the construction of a vocational training center to empower women affected by the conflict.
Mr. President,
In closing, allow me to reiterate Japan's determination to take an active role in conflict prevention. Under the banner of "Proactive Contributor to Peace", Japan will continue to work together with the international community to that end.
I thank you, Mr. President.
