U.N. Peace-keeping Operations

As of June 30, 1996, 70 countries are taking part in U.N. peace-keeping operations, with the total personnel level of approximately 26,000. In accordance with the International Peace Cooperation Law, Japan has sent its personnel to Angola, Cambodia, Mozambique, El Salvador and the Golan Heights. In the field of humanitarian assistance, Japan sent elements of its Self-Defense Forces to help Rwandan refugees.

The First Dispatch of Transportation Unit to the Golan Heights.(1996)

Japan Joins U.N. Peace-keeping Operations

Japan, as a member of the international community, has a keen interest in the maintenance of peace and security. Accordingly, participation in U.N. peace-keeping operations within its legal framework is today placed as one of Japan's important areas of contribution towards international peace and security.

Japan's first substantial partici-pation in a U.N. peace-keeping operation was in 1989, when 27 electoral observers were dispatched to the United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) in Namibia. Then in 1992, the enactment of the International Peace Cooperation Law enabled Japan to send not only its civilian personnel but also its Self-Defense Forces members to U.N. peace-keeping operations. Based on that law, Japan has participated in the peace-keeping operations in Angola, Cambodia, Mozambique and El Salvador. In addition, in 1996, Japan has dispatched its Self-Defense Forces contingent to UNDOF (United Nations Disengagement Observer Force), which is deployed in the Golan Heights. Moreover, Japan's Self-Defense Forces were sent to assist Rwandan refugees in Goma, Zaire, as a part of the international humanitarian relief operations. Japan intends to cooperate actively in future peace-keeping and humanitarian relief operations under this law.

Japan takes an active part in the discussions in the U.N. to improve the effectiveness of peace-keeping operations. Japan, for example, has been serving as a vice-chair for the Special Committee on Peace-keeping Operations, the principal U.N. forum to make a comprehensive review of the questions related to peace-keeping operations.In addition, Japan proposed the establishment of the United Nations Peace-keeping Reserve Fund with an aim to help ensure that start-up funds would be readily available for launching peace-keeping operations; the fund was established in January 1993.

With regard to the issue of the safety of peacekeepers, Japan has strongly maintained that significant improvement be made and Japan's initiative has resulted in the adoption of the Convention on the Safety of U.N. and Associated Personnel in 1994. Japan has become a member to the Convention the following year.

The Presidential statement of the Security Council in March 1996 proposed some concrete measures to substantiate the consultations among the members of the Security Council, the U.N. Secretariat and troop-contributing countries which naturally have serious interests in the safety of their national contingent.Japan welcomes the issue of the statement and considers that troop-contributors should be fully briefed or before consulted before deployment of peace-keeping forces or before any significant change of their respective mandates.

Japan will continue to cooperate with U.N. peace-keeping operations not only by participating in the activities themselves but also by actively engaging in discussions for further improvement of these operations.

Assessments for Peace-keeping Operations Financed by Major Contributors (1995)

Note:The figures exclude Palestinian refugees, but include displaced presons in the former Yugoslavia.

Japanese Participation in International Peacekeeping under the International Peace Cooperation Law (As of April 1, 1996)