2 Strengthening the Foreign Policy Implementation Structure

Japan is facing the most severe and complex security environment in the post-war era. To promote diplomatic power for maintaining and developing an international order based on universal values, it is vital to fundamentally strengthen the foreign policy implementation structure. To that end, MOFA is working on strengthening its diplomatic missions overseas in both the aspects of quantity and quality, as well as advancing efforts to improve the organizational and personnel systems at MOFA itself.

Diplomatic missions overseas, such as embassies and consulates-general, not only represent Japan and engage in diplomatic activities, but also play a key role in areas such as information-gathering and strategic external communication at the frontline of diplomacy. At the same time, diplomatic missions also carry out operations directly related to enhancing the interests of Japanese nationals, such as protecting their lives and safety, providing support for Japanese companies, promoting investment and tourism, and securing energy and other resources.

Given this environment, in January 2024 Japan established an embassy in Seychelles as well as a Permanent Mission of Japan to the International Organizations in Rome, Italy (independent office).

Seychelles is located along sea lanes that are important to the security and economy of the Indo-Pacific region, making it an important country for the realization of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP).” Furthermore, it is positioned along a maritime route that connects Mombasa Port in Kenya, East Africa's largest commercial port, which Japan is helping to develop, the Port of Nacala in Mozambique, and Toamasina Port in Madagascar with Japan, and has rich fishery resources. Seychelles also supports Japan in areas such as important international elections. Hence, establishing an embassy in Seychelles is important not only for continuing to maintain and strengthen the friendly bilateral relations between the two countries, but also for strengthening systems to further enhance effectiveness in collecting various types of information, such as in the maritime security field, and providing various forms of support in emergencies.

Rome is the base of international organizations working in the areas of food and agriculture, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). These three international organizations work in close cooperation with one another to secure global food security and reduce the number of hungry people, through initiatives to stabilize the global food markets and particularly by providing food support to countries vulnerable to factors that destabilize the food market and improving the production and distribution of agricultural produce. Amidst rising food prices due to the impact of disruptions in the food supply chain as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, destabilization of grain supply due to Russia's aggression against Ukraine, and other factors, it is vital for Japan, in advancing its diplomacy, to secure Japan's food security and help to stabilize the global food market, including facilitating access to food by countries that are particularly vulnerable to the impact of such factors. It is becoming increasingly important to cooperate with the three organizations in Rome that work to address food and agriculture issues, and establishing a Permanent Mission of Japan is important in contributing toward strengthening Japan's presence and to the development of systems for cooperation and forming close networks with the three organizations.

In addition to establishing more diplomatic missions overseas, it is important to secure and increase the number of staff members to support diplomacy at the MOFA headquarters and diplomatic missions overseas. In the context of the current severe budget and staff situation for the Government overall, the number of staff members at MOFA was increased in FY2023 by 100 to 6,604 from FY2022 in order to address bilateral relations and regional situations, promote economic security, contribute to addressing global issues, and implement protection and safety measures for Japanese nationals abroad. The number of staff members, however, remains insufficient in comparison with other major countries. MOFA continues its efforts to build a structure that is commensurate with Japan's national power and diplomatic policy. In the meantime, based on the belief that enhancing the diplomatic and consular implementation structure remains essential in FY2024, MOFA will increase its workforce by 70¹ staff.

In order to maintain and strengthen an international order based on universal values in an era of competition among nations, MOFA appropriated 756.0 billion yen in the budget for FY2023 (including costs for holding the G7 Hiroshima Summit, of which 12.5 billion yen is appropriated in the budget of the Digital Agency). Furthermore, MOFA appropriated 270.1 billion yen in the supplementary budget for FY2023 (of which 4.36 billion yen is appropriated in the Digital Agency budget). The funding appropriated in the supplementary budget was, in order to achieve a peaceful and stable international community that ensures that human dignity is preserved, for measures engaging in flexible and firm diplomacy, principally for pressing issues such as support for Ukraine, support for the Global South (emerging and developing countries) and for initiatives to realize FOIP. Funding was also appropriated for measures to respond to high prices.

MOFA's FY2024 initial government budget proposal appropriated 741.7 billion yen (of which 16.0 billion yen is appropriated in the Digital Agency budget) based on the following priorities: (a) implementing the National Security Strategy, (b) strengthening the framework for protection of and risk management for Japanese nationals overseas, and (c) promoting Japan's economic growth. This includes budgets to work with allies and like-minded countries, to implement new plans for FOIP, to strengthen support for Ukraine and countries affected by the situation in Ukraine, to respond to the situation in Israel and Palestine, for Official Security Assistance (OSA), to fundamentally reinforce MOFA's information capabilities including countering disinformation, to enhance the resilience of Japan's diplomatic missions overseas, and to strengthen support for overseas expansion of Japanese companies.

In order to promote Japan's national interests, Japan will continue to proceed strategically to develop the foreign policy implementation structure and enhance it further, while making efforts to streamline operations.

• 1 Includes special provision (for one year only) for six additional new recruits in accordance with the increase in the compulsory retirement age.