Meeting Between Mr. Yoshiro Mori, Special Envoy of the Prime Minister of Japan, and Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations
(Overview)

September 25, 2007

Mr. Yoshiro Mori, Special Envoy of the Prime Minister exchanged views with Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations in New York on the afternoon of September 24. An overview of this meeting follows.

1. Opening Remarks

Secretary-General Ban stated that he would like to maintain friendly relations with Japan based on the favorable relationship between Japan and the Republic of Korea, and that he viewed Special Envoy Mori as a close friend.

2. Fight Against Terrorism

Secretary-General Ban stated that he highly valued the assistance provided by Japan for Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), and that he expected the Self-Defense Forces to carry on their activities. Special Envoy Mori responded that on September 24, policy consultations were held with the New Komeito Party, and that he would keep up his efforts to gain cooperation from the opposition parties for the continuation of the refueling activities during this extraordinary Diet session. Secretary-General Ban requested Special Envoy Mori to convey to the Prime Minister-to-be Yasuo Fukuda his expectations for Japan to continue to play its role in issues related to Iran.

3. Environmental Issues

Secretary-General Ban praised Japan for its outstanding foresight to take the initiatives in concluding the Kyoto Protocol as well as in hosting the United Nations World Conference on Disaster Reduction in Hyogo Prefecture. Furthermore, he stated that he intended to make efforts toward the creation of a framework to deal with climate change.

4. United Nations Reform

Secretary-General Ban stated that there remains much to be done, including reform of the organization of the United Nations. He noted that Japan's presence is indeed important both politically and financially, and mentioned that he expected Japan to continue its cooperation. Special Envoy Mori asked Secretary-General Ban to render assistance for Japan to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.