Signing of the "International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism"

October 31, 2001

On October 30 (Japan time: 31), the Government of Japan signed the "International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism" at the United Nations Headquarters, New York. The signer was Ambassador Yukio Sato, Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations.
The Convention defines as crimes any activity that either provides or collects financing to carry out acts defined under the existing counter-terrorism-related conventions listed in its Annex, such as hijacking, hostage-taking, and terrorism by bombing, whether or not the funds have actually been used to carry out such a crime. To prevent the perpetrators from evading the criminal procedures, the Convention obliges the contracting parties to establish a jurisdiction for perpetrators, including those who committed an offense outside Japan, or, if a perpetrator found in the first contracting party is not going to be extradited to the second contracting party concerned, to refer that case to the authorities of that first contracting party.
Japan has been steadily concluding counter-terrorism conventions and has contributed to the reinforcing of the international framework to prevent terrorism. Japan's signing the Convention is highly significant in indicating its proactive efforts toward the eradication of terrorism, which is an imminent challenge to the international community.
The Convention has not yet entered into force. As of October 25 this year, four countries (U.K., Sri Lanka, Botswana and Uzbekistan) have ratified the Convention, and 67 countries, including the G8 (not counting Japan) have signed it.

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