Japan's Opening Statement to COP6 by H.E. Ambassador Mr. Asakai

November 13, 2000

Thank you Mr. Chairman,

I want to say how happy we are to be in this beautiful city and to participate in these important talks on global warming. We congratulate you, Minister Pronk, on your election as Chairman and express our hope that you will lead us to success at COP6, success which will enable early ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, including by Japan, so that it will enter into force by 2002.

At this juncture, I want to limit myself to the question of assistance to developing countries.

Mr. Chairman,

Japan is among those developed countries which attach priority to cooperation with developing countries. It is well known that Japan has been the largest donor of development assistance for the last several consecutive years. In the U.N., Japan has been taking initiatives to promote the "Agenda for Development" and has also taken such initiatives as the holding of two International Conferences on African Development in Tokyo.

Mr. Chairman,

Japan participates in the current discussions on global warming with the same spirit--that of dialogue and cooperation with developing countries. Japan recognizes the concerns of developing countries related to climate change. It is particularly sensitive to the needs of least developed countries and the most vulnerable.

It is with these considerations in mind that Japan has been providing assistance to developing countries. It hopes to continue to do so in the future.

To be more specific,
First, as for the adverse effects of climate change, Japan has been assisting countries vulnerable to climate change in the enhancement of their adaptation capabilities. Such assistance covers wide project areas, including coastal bank protection, collection and provision of meteorological information, food security, water resource management, and disease control.

Second, as for capacity-building, Japan has been providing enhanced support for capacity building in many areas related to climate change, including those in the energy, industry, and forestry sectors. Over 2,800 people from developing countries have received climate change-related training under the Kyoto Initiative of ODA since its start in 1997, immediately prior to the Kyoto COP3 meeting.

In addition, in order to enable developing countries to implement the provisions of the Convention, Japan has been implementing various cooperative activities and programmes under the Kyoto Initiative. Japan has also provided about 480 billion yen in highly concessiona1 loans for projects related to global warming prevention in developing counties from Dec. 1997 to Mar. 2000.

I want to note that climate change is a global issue. The main responsibility rests with the emitters of the greenhouse gases, but the problem will need to be resolved through cooperation between all concerned, developed and developing countries.

Thank you Mr. Chairman.