Statement by Mr. Taro Aso, Minister for Foreign Affairs, on the Inauguration of Japan as Chair of the UN Peacebuilding Commission

June 28, 2007

On June 27 (New York time), Japan was elected chair of the UN Peacebuilding Commission without a vote in a formal meeting of its Organizational Committee and inaugurated on the same day. I am very pleased with the outcome which could be considered a result of appreciation from other countries for Japan’s efforts in peacebuilding. Japan would like to meet the expectations.

Peacebuilding, which aims at making efforts in a seamless manner, ranging from promotion of peace processes, assurance of stability and provision of humanitarian assistance immediately after a conflict, and to reconstruction and nation-building, is extremely important in today’s international community. As the Peacebuilding Commission plays a crucial role in this field in the UN, Japan has considered its activities important and has been actively engaging in its work as one of its founding members.

Japan will host the G8 Summit and the TICAD IV (the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development) next year. In view of them, Japan is determined to make further contributions in the field of peacebuilding to promote international peace and security. Japan has provided both personnel cooperation for UN peacekeeping activities such as those in Timor-Leste and Nepal, and financial contributions of twenty million US dollars to the UN Peacebuilding Fund. Japan also recently launched a Pilot Project for Human Resource Development in Asia for Peacebuilding (the Hiroshima Peacebuilders Center).

The Peacebuilding Commission enters the second year of its work since establishment. As its chair, Japan will make further efforts for the activities in the area of peacebuilding.

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