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"The Tokyo Guidelines and International Cooperation Towards Zero Victims"
by Tsuneo Nishida, Deputy Director-General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

December 4, 1997
Roundtable 15 "Coordination of Resources for Mine Action"
Mine Action Forum, Ottawa

Mr. Chairman,
Ladies and gentlemen,

First I would like to pay our deep respects to the Government of Canada,which has played a great role in drafting the Treaty and is playing host to the Treaty Signing Conference and the Mine Action Forum. We also wish to express our gratitude to other concerned countries, international orgnizations and NGOs that are all tackling the problems related to anti-personnel landmines. And let me join all here at the table in expressing heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Axworthy, who has displayed great leadership for realizing this historic event.

(The Significance of the Tokyo Conference on Anti-Personnel Landmines)

Japan held the Tokyo Conference on Anti-Personnel Landmines in March this year. The Conference was the first of its kind, in which comprehensive discussions took place to strengthen international efforts on the problems of anti-personnel landmines from the humanitarian point of view. At that Conference an extremely meaningful exchange of views took place among mine-infested countries, donor countries and international organizations, based upon their numerous experiences in the past.

At the Tokyo Conference the problems related to anti-personnel landmines were viewed not only as those of humanitarian concern but also as obstacles to the maintenance of peace and stability and to reconstruction and development as well. That Conference paved the way for drawing up the Tokyo Guidelines on how we are to cope with problems related to the three areas of mine-clearance activities, development of technologies for mine detection and removal, and assistance to victims. Moreover, the accomplishment of the ultimate goal of having zero landmine victims was decided upon as the common objective for the international community to strive for.

Now, allow me to familiarize everyone here with these above-mentioned Tokyo Guidelines. The main points of the Guidelines are as follows: First, mine-infested countries themselves should play a key role in mine-clearance activities, and donor countries, international organizations and NGOs should support them in the spirit of partnership. Secondly, efforts should be strengthened to develop cheaper, safer and more efficient technologies for mine detection and removal. Thirdly, as for assistance to victims, the international commiunity should assist mine-infested countries in developing the capability to manage and carry out comprehensive programs for medical treatment, manufacture of artificial limbs, rehabilitation and vocational training for their respective mine victims.

(Follow-up on the Tokyo Conference)

At the Tokyo Conference, some proposals were submitted in line with the Tokyo Guidelines and are being implemented.

The United Nations has already begun the building of a technology registration database for mine detection and removal while Japan intends to support this endeavor. The ICRC proposed the building of a mine information system aimed at better coordination between demining and medical treatment activities. In fact, the ICRC has already started such a system on a trial basis in Angola and Afghanistan. The Government of Japan is ready to give its support so that such activities will take place in other mine-infested countries as well.

Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) has offered to share their experience in mine-clearance activities and, in response, a workshop will be held in Cambodia to form partnerships among mine-infested countries. Japan intends to actively participate in this endeavor and support it.

The establishment of networks among NGOs is also progressing, and I ampleased that such networks constructed among the world's NGO's got off the ground at the NGO Tokyo Conference '97, which took place concurrently with the Tokyo Conference on Anti-Personnel Landmines. I am very much looking forward to the outcome of the Second NGO Tokyo Conference scheduled at the end of January next year.

(Japan's New Measures for Tackling the Problems)

Mr. Chairman,
I believe that the Tokyo Guidelines are a sound basis on which the international community can address problems related to anti-personnel landmines. To promote international efforts to tackle these problems, as Mr. Obuchi, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, stated at the Treaty Signing Conference yesterday, the Government of Japan has decided to grant approximately \10bil. (US$80mil.) over the next five years through Official Development Assistance in the field of demining and assistance to victims.

To be specific, given the long-term reconstruction process, Japan will help mine-infested countries develop their capabilities to execute mine-clearance activities by providing devices for mine detection and removal, and other necessary equipment such as vehicles, grass cutters, radio apparatus, batteries for such purposes. It will also help to strengthen the role of the UN for better coordination in assisting demining activities, and at the same time, will also support the building of the UN Technology Registration Database through voluntary contribution to trust fund. As for support for mine victims, Japan is further prepared to provide technical cooperation for the manufacture of artificial limbs, physical and mental rehabilitation of mine victims, and to construct facilities for medical treatment and rehabilitation, so that mine-infested countries will be able to attain capabilities to plan and execute comprehensive support programs on their own in the future.

In this connection, Japan, dedicated to world peace, in addition to its continued cooperation for the development of international arms control systems including the establishment of the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms, has been watching our own export activities with extremely scrupulous care. In view of the importance of assistance for the humanitarian mine-clearance activities, however, we have decided to open the way to the export of devices and equipment needed for such activities. I expect that Japanese technology potential will be fully utilized to meet the needs of mine-infested countries for inexpensive, safe and efficient technologies in this regard.

Carefully executed support activities cannot be done without grass-roots activities of NGOs. The government of Japan is determined to collaborate with like-minded NGOs and to provide further support for their works. For example, we will continue to cooperate with NGOs which are engaged in such activities as the manufacture of artificial limbs and the rehabilitation of mine victims. We also intends to make demining-related devices we will provide available for use by NGOs under the Mine Action Centre in each mine-infested country.

(The Need for Strengthened International Coordination)

Mr. Chairman,
A number of countries, international organizations and NGOs are already providing support for mine clearance and assistance to victims, and Canada, Norway, the United States and other countries as well as Japan have announced their intention to expand support.

However, our support will not be very effective as long as each country and organization gives support only in its own manner. In order to provide assistance efficiently and effectively, countries and organizations need to correctly grasp the needs of mine-infested countries and to coordinate so that there will be no overlap of assistance measures. In this respect, the ownership of mine-infested countries and partnership of the international community, as duly mentioned in the Tokyo Guidelines, are of vital importance. To be specific, we need to create a mechanism for information exchange and coordination among related countries, international organizations and so forth. For example, in the case of Cambodia, the Steering Committee of CMAC, which consists of the Cambodian government, UNDP, other international organizations and donor countries, should be more utilized for the coordination of support activities. Angola and Mozambique have in place governmental organizations established for the purpose of mine clearance with an assistance of the United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs and these organizations have already begun operating under the UNDP. Mine Action Centre of the government of Bosnia-Herzegovina will begin its operation in 1998 as well. I hope that support activities in these countries will be fully coordinated by such mine action centres and organizations. The Government of Japan is ready to be positively involved in the operation and coordination activities of such Centres to make our support more effective and efficient.

(Towards the Ultimate Goal of Zero Victims)

Mr. Chairman,
It will certainly be most difficult to remove all the landmines buried on Earth. But urgent necessity is to remove landmines from the areas needed for development and improvement of living standards of the people and to prevent people from being victimized by landmine explosions.

At the Tokyo Conference, Mr. Sam Sotha, National Director of Cambodian Mine Action Centre, has said, "Ten million landmines are said to be buried in Cambodia. This huge number of buried landmines almost makes us lose hope when we pay too much attention to it. However, we deem it possible to bring the number of mine victims to zero and we are not pessimistic in this sense."

Surely there are a number of obstacles to the realization of zero victims, but let us unite on the basis of global partnership and take firm steps so that the dream will come true.

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