(provisional translation)

RESOLUTION OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JAPAN

April 19, 2001

RESOLUTION CONCERNING THE REALIZATION OF INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT TOWARD THE ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE KYOTO PROTOCOL

While the global warming has been becoming the most serious problem for the twenty-first century, over the last ten years, the international community has achieved agreements to prevent the global warming by realizing the entry into force of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and, succeedingly, the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol. It is greatly regrettable that the Bush Administration of the United States of America has recently expressed its position that it leaves the Kyoto Protocol, and it would be backtracking from what the international community has achieved for protection of the global environment. The House of Representatives strongly urges the United States of America, which is the world largest emitter of greenhouse gases, to continue to participate in negotiations related to the Kyoto Protocol.

Being in the Presidency of the third session of the Conference of Parties (COP3) to the UNFCCC, which was held in Kyoto, Japan played a special role to complete the Kyoto Protocol. The Diet, as the legislative body, as well as the government, and all other parts of society of Japan as one should develop domestic systems to prevent the global warming. Japan should ratify the Kyoto Protocol early and, internationally, take a leadership for the entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol in the year of 2002.

The House of the Representatives strongly calls for all countries, including the United States of America, to achieve an agreement at the resumed sixth session of the Conference of Parties (COP6) in July to lead the Kyoto Protocol to entry into force.

So we resolve.