Meeting between Mr. Katsuya Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, Mr. Koichi Takemasa, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Japan, and Ms. Navanethem Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

May 13, 2010
Japanese

On May 13, Mr. Katsuya Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan had a meeting with Ms. Navanethem Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, for about thirty minutes from 4:50 p.m. High Commissioner Pillay was visiting Japan as a Guest of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. An outline of the meeting is as follows.

1. Minister Okada welcomed Ms. Pillay’s first visit to Japan as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and said that he had recently visited South Africa.
   
   
2. High Commissioner Pillay shared her high evaluation of Japan’s initiatives in the field of human rights, the new administration’s efforts concerning a national human rights institution and the individual communication system, in particular. She also expressed the importance of the abduction issue. She further expressed her expectation to receive Japan’s cooperation in areas including contributions to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
   
   
3. Minister Okada thanked High Commissioner Pillay for her understanding and cooperation regarding the situation in North Korea, particularly the abduction issue. He said that with regard to contributions to the OHCHR, although there is a severe budgetary situation, he will consider the issue. Minister Okada also stated that Japan intends to provide sufficient assistance to developing countries, as he expressed during his visit to Africa, and also pays attention to the human rights situation when providing assistance to developing countries.
   
   
4. In response, High Commissioner Pillay expressed her high evaluation of Japan’s valuable assistance to developing countries. She said that OHCHR fulfills the role of observing to assure that Japan’s assistance is used effectively, and hopes to cooperate closely with Japan.
   
   
5. At the meeting with State Secretary Takemasa held for approximately twenty minutes from 5:25 p.m, there was an exchange of views focused on the situation in North Korea, particularly the abduction issue.

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