STATEMENT BY H.E. MR. SEIKEN SUGIURA
SENIOR VICE-MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF JAPAN
AT THE UN CONFERENCE ON THE ILLICIT TRADE IN SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONS IN ALL ITS ASPECTS

9 July 2001

Mr. President,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,

First of all, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to His Excellency Mr. Camilo Reyes, Permanent Representative of Colombia to the United Nations in Geneva, on his assumption of the presidency of this United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects.

I would also like to pay tribute to His Excellency Mr. Carlos Dos Santos, Permanent Representative of Mozambique to the United Nations, for all his efforts in the preparatory committee for this conference.

Mr. President,

Now, at the outset of the twenty-first century, it is regrettable that we continue to witness conflicts in various parts of the world. Ethnic or religious antagonisms must be removed from people's hearts. This is a problem that will test our wisdom. With the excessive accumulation of small arms, such antagonisms easily turn into armed conflict, claiming lives and leaving lasting scars on people's hearts.

Small arms claim more than half a million lives each year. It can truly be said that they are weapons of mass destruction. Over 80 percent of their victims are women and children. As we witness such problems as the arming of civilians and the recruitment of children as soldiers, the spread of these weapons poses a threat to human security. We must tackle the excessive accumulation and illicit transfer of small arms, which are truly 'peace-destroying weapons.'

Mr. President,

This first UN conference to address the problem of small arms is of great historic significance. We must make it a success. The international community must mobilize its strong political will and all resources available to address the issue of small arms. It is also important that we achieve a consensus on the Programme of Action to be adopted here to kick off the future process of norm setting and implementation of activities in the field to solve the problem of small arms. Furthermore we must follow up the outcome of this conference.

Japan has been actively pursuing arms control and disarmament. We do not permit the export of arms to any country. We also strictly control the possession and the use of small arms by civilians in Japan. We hope that as many other countries as possible will likewise control the export and possession of small arms.

Japan has been tackling issues related to small arms since 1995. In fact, we proposed the resolution to the General Assembly which has led to the convening of this conference. Moreover, Japan's Ambassador Donowaki served as chairman of the UN Panel and then the Group of Governmental Experts on Small Arms. He is now presiding over the high-level ministerial segment of the Conference.

Mr. President,

Small arms create tremendous obstacles to social and economic development. They hinder humanitarian assistance and post-conflict reconstruction. In our view, it is of utmost importance to build a society where small arms are no longer necessary. Japan has implemented a 'weapons for development' project in Cambodia with the EU. Under this project, arms are collected in exchange for assistance for improving social infrastructure and public order. But what is most important are the aspiration and will of the people in the affected countries and regions to create a society free of small arms. The international community, for its part, should provide assistance in response to their aspiration and will.

Japan intends to cooperate with other like-minded countries. In Cambodia, for example, we will continue and expand the current project together with the EU. We are also considering the introduction of similar projects in other regions, such as the Balkans, various Asia-Pacific countries, and Niger and other African countries. We will identify the target regions for assistance and study how we can best provide them with assistance. After carrying out a survey and conducting research on project feasibility, we will then implement specific projects.

For that purpose, we would like to ask the UN Institute for Disarmament Research, UNIDIR, to assess the successes and failures of past projects, which should serve as a guide for our future efforts in this regard.

Mr. President,

Today I would like to reaffirm that Japan will continue to actively address the problem of small arms. We have thus far contributed US $1.87 million to the UN Trust Funds in the Department for Disarmament Affairs for that purpose. This contribution was utilized to fund projects such as the UN Fact-finding Mission to Cambodia and the Confidence-Building Seminar on Conventional Weapons Transfers organized by the ASEAN Regional Forum. Japan will also extend an additional contribution of US $900,000 in support of efforts to resolve problems related to small arms.

We believe that it is important to convene a follow-up meeting. On that occasion, we should review progress made and share experiences of each country and region, based on the results of this conference. I am pleased to announce that Japan is ready to host a follow-up meeting at the beginning of next year.

Mr. President,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,

At the outset of my speech, I said that the twenty-first century would be one that will test our wisdom, the wisdom of humankind. In fact, this UN Conference on Small Arms is itself a major test.

Let us make this Conference a success and show that we are ready to face the challenges posed by small arms. Let the wisdom demonstrated in this hall echo beyond the walls to the benefit of future generations.

Thank you, Mr. President.