Erschienen in Ausgabe: No 93 (11/2013) | Letzte Änderung: 21.10.13 |
von Shinzō Abe
Mr.
President, Mr. Secretary General, fellow delegates, ladies and gentlemen,
First, join me please in congratulating Ambassador John ASHE on assuming the
Presidency.
Mr. President,
First, I would like to state a new pledge about the situation in Syria.
The use of chemical weapons has aroused profound shock and anger in the people
in Japan,
including myself. Chemical weapons must never be used again.
I hereby declare that Japan
will provide thorough support and the greatest possible cooperation towards the
international community's efforts to dispose of Syria's chemical weapons.
We feel righteous
indignation about innocent civilians continuing to be victims. Japan regards
the cessation of violence, initiation of political dialogue and improvement of
appalling humanitarian conditions as issues of urgency. Right now, at this very
moment, the number of refugees is soaring. To them, Japan will give still greater
assistance.
We will act in
cooperation with the international community to extend a helping hand to
internally displaced persons and refugees fleeing across national borders. I
take pride in the fact that Japan's
NGOs and volunteer organizations are working around the clock to help them.
Japan will
continue to provide assistance also to areas under the control of the
opposition groups, where it is difficult for assistance from the international
community to reach. We are working to undertake the training of staff working
at medical centers.
We will also deliver
portable X-ray devices and other medical equipment to those areas.
With the despair of the
refugees now escalating as they head for a harsh winter, I would like to
announce that the Government of Japan will newly provide additional
humanitarian assistance to Syria
and surrounding countries of approximately US$60 million and implement it right
away.
We are determined to
conduct such assistance in parallel with the process of political dialogue,
notably the Geneva II Conference, and to move forward in cooperation with the
international community.
Mr. President,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Our nation Japan and its capital Tokyo have been granted the honor of hosting
the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, seven years from now.
To reciprocate this good
fortune we have come to enjoy, my obligation first of all is to rebuild the
Japanese economy to be vibrant, and then to make Japan a dependable
"force" that works for good in the world.
I pledge here that I
will make Japan
a force for peace and stability, just as it has been until now -- or rather, to
a degree even greater than it has been thus far, given the increasingly tragic
state suffusing the globe.
Japan will newly
bear the flag of "Proactive
Contribution to Peace," anchoring on the undeniable records and
solid appraisal of our country, which has endeavored to bring peace and
prosperity to the world, emphasizing cooperation with the international
community.
The world's power
balance has been changing rapidly and technological innovations are now
removing all borders from both new opportunities and new types of threats. It
is now impossible for any one country, no matter which it may be, to safeguard
its own peace and security acting entirely by itself.
This is why Japan is
working to garner trust from the world as a creator of added value and a net
contributor for regional and world peace and stability.
Given these
circumstances, the role of the United Nations will become even more important.
Until now Japan
has continually promoted the concept of "human security." The
implications of this concept will surely expand as well.
Through the accumulation
of discussions over 9 years since the submission of a report by the Commission
on Human Security, the resolution on a common understanding on the notion of
human security was adopted, here at the General Assembly, September last year.
Guided by the wisdom of the forerunners, Japan is determined to further
spread the concept and build actual practices.
I will enable Japan, as a Proactive Contributor
to Peace, to be even more actively engaged in UN collective security measures,
including peacekeeping operations. I believe Japan must continuously cultivate
our human resources appropriate to the UN activities.
Mr. President,
Ladies and gentlemen,
For Japan, whose
national interests are firmly connected to the stability of seas that are open,
changes to the maritime order through the use of force or coercion cannot be
condoned under any circumstances.
There are great
expectations for Japan
to rigorously preserve public spaces ranging from outer space and cyberspace to
the skies and the seas as global commons governed by rules and laws.
Japan, as a county
that understands the horror and devastation wrought by atomic bombs, will
utterly devote itself to nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, and the
total elimination of nuclear weapons.
North
Korea's nuclear and missile
development cannot be condoned. Japan
also maintains serious concerns with regard to other weapons of mass
destruction that North Korea
is likely to possess. Pyongyang
should listen to the unified voice of the international community and, rectify
its own actions, by taking a tangible step.
We demand that North Korea
return every Japanese national it abducted, without exception. While in office,
I am determined to resolve this issue completely, and the normalization of
diplomatic relations with North
Korea remains unthinkable without the
resolution of this issue.
As for Iran's nuclear issue, Japan
hopes that Iran's
new administration will take concrete actions forward, and we are ready to
continue to play a role in order to resolve the issue.
In the Middle East
region, a cornerstone for world peace and prosperity, Japan will continue the unique contributions it
has been making towards the Middle East peace
process thus far.
Japan will also
continue to extend cooperation to the countries of Africa,
which are certain to become a growth engine this century. Firmly rooted in our
own experiences, this cooperation takes the fostering of human resources as its
main emphasis and seeks to achieve sustainable growth while cultivating
ownership by Africa itself.
This last June, my
government invited African heads of state and government and representatives of
international organizations to Japan
to convene "TICAD V," the Fifth Tokyo International Conference on
African Development.
On this occasion, I was
deeply struck. The representatives of African nations repeatedly expressed
great eagerness to welcome private sector investment.
Investment flow to Africa now exceeds the flow of assistance. I also heard
time and again from the African leaders that assistance should be utilized
strategically, as a catalyst inviting investment.
This is the evolution of
discussions the twenty-year long TICAD process has witnessed and given rise to.
TICAD V became a forum where we celebrated the path Africa has walked down and
together reconfirmed that Japan has been an enduring partner weaving
dreams side by side with Africa.
Mr. President,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I hold the firm
conviction that the future course of Japan's diplomacy will begin here,
by sparing no pains to get actively engaged in historic challenges facing
today's world, with our regained strength and capacity.
I consider "sparing
no pains" to be nothing less than the basso continuo notes that set the
basic tone for Japan's actions, be they in diplomacy or any other field.
As a country with such
intentions, strengths, and achievements, we consider it extremely regrettable
that the Security Council's structure is still frozen in a state that reflects
the realities of some 70 years ago.
The Security Council must be reformed without delay. Japan's
aspiration to become a permanent member of the Council has not changed in the
slightest.
Mr. President,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Everything will begin with refortifying Japan's true
abilities and its economy once more. The growth of Japan will
benefit the world. Japan's
decline would be a loss for people everywhere.
So how, then, does Japan
aim to realize this growth? What will serve as both a factor for and outcome of
growth will be to mobilize the power of women, a point almost self-evident at
this gathering.
There is a theory called
"womenomics,"
which asserts that the more the advance of women in society is promoted, the
higher the growth rate becomes.
Creating an environment
in which women find it comfortable to work and enhancing opportunities for
women to work and to be active in society is no longer a matter of choice for Japan. It is
instead a matter of the greatest urgency.
Declaring my intention
to create "a society
in which women shine," I have been working to change Japan's
domestic structures. However, this is not confined merely to domestic matters.
Now I would like to address how this is also a thread guiding Japan's
diplomacy.
To begin, I would like
to state four contributions through which Japan aspires to remain a leading
member within the international community.
First, Japan respects
the activities of UN Women and intends to become one of its leading
contributors and thus an exemplary country in the area. Japan will also
work closely with relevant international organizations.
Second, as other
like-minded countries have already done, Japan also intends to develop a
national action plan regarding women, peace, and security, in cooperation with
people working at the grass-roots level.
Third, Japan will
cooperate closely with not only UN Women but also the International Criminal
Court and the office of Her Excellency Mrs. Zainab Hawa Bangura, Special
Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict.
It is a matter of
outrage that there continues to be sexual violence against women during times
of armed conflict even now, in the 21st century. Japan will do everything possible
to prevent such crimes against women and to support both materially and
psychologically those people who unfortunately become victims of such acts.
Fourth, Japan will
submit once more at the next session of the UN Commission on the Status of
Women a draft resolution that gives careful consideration to women in natural
disasters, as they are likely to be vulnerable. Japan, which itself experienced
a major natural disaster two years ago, wishes to gain support for this draft
resolution, which embodies our torrent of emotions.
Mr. President,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I would now like to make
use of the examples of three individuals to clarify Japan's development concept aimed
at bringing about a "society in which women shine" and also shed
light on some issues that must be tackled.
I will first introduce
the examples of one Japanese and one Bangladeshi woman and then an Afghan woman
as the third example.
Ms. Tokiko Sato was an
expert of JICA, the Japan International Cooperation Agency. She was responsible
for improving maternal, newborn and child health for over 15 years in a remote
village in Jordan.
Undaunted by the
suspicious looks she first saw among the villagers, Ms. Sato would speak with
anyone, anywhere.
Devoted to her ideas,
including making use of public entertainment to persuade the villagers, Ms.
Sato finally found herself accepted by the village community.
"The one who
decides the number of children is the husband, not the wife." Ms. Sato's
tenacity gradually transformed this traditional idea into a mindset that values
the health of women.
As you are aware, my
country Japan
played a leading role when the Global Fund aimed at fighting HIV/AIDS, malaria,
and tuberculosis at the global level was established. Japan also
intends to continue to make an appropriate contribution at the upcoming Fourth
Replenishment, which seeks to secure additional financing for the Fund.
However, as for the
"post-2015 development agenda," it would be most appropriate to
broaden the focus to the one overarching those individual diseases.
Japan regards
approaches that address individuals holistically as better able to meet broader
health needs. This is why Japan
decided to promote universal health coverage, or "UHC," on the
occasion of the TICAD V.
To address health issues
in the African region, we have readied US$500 million and are at present
concentrating on setting up training for 120,000 health and medical services
providers.
Medical care for all.
There can be no doubt that the people who give the human touch to the three
letters "UHC" are, in concrete terms, people like Ms. Sato, who
unsparingly enter into local communities.
The second person I
would like to introduce is Ms. Nilufa Yeasmin, a young Bangladeshi woman who is
the mother of two. Her professional title is "Poly-Glu Lady."
"Poly-Glu," is
a made-in-Japan water depurative derived from a food which can be found in
Japan in great abundance. You simply add it to turbid water. Poly-Glu acts as
an adsorbent, adhering to excess substances in the water, and then falls to the
bottom as a precipitate, leaving the water clear.
It is necessary to teach
people how to use it correctly at the outset, and Ms. Nilufa and other
"Poly-Glu Ladies" serve as both salespersons and instructors.
As you can see, as what
is called a "base of the pyramid" or "BOP" business, this
endeavor is characterized by the expectations placed on the power of women. By
combining her income with her husband's, Ms. Nilufa has become able to send her
children to higher education.
Poverty caused Ms.
Nilufa to give up on the dream she had cherished as a little girl to become a
doctor someday. But I understand that now she proudly states she has become
"a doctor of clean water." Can we not say that Ms. Nilufa has
acquired self-esteem, the most precious asset of all?
My government wishes to
bring forth as many Ms. Nilufas as possible. It is by the way a very small
Japanese company that makes Poly-Glu. We will work to enhance the assistance to
such companies and organizations to make their ideas to bear fruit.
Mr. President,
And to everyone here today,
Finally, there is one
more woman I would like to introduce. But, this Afghan lady is no longer with
us. Her name is Ms. Islam Bibi, and on July 4th of this year, she was gunned
down and assassinated. 37 years old, survived by three children.
A proud female police
officer with the Afghan police -- that was Ms. Bibi. She came to shoulder heavy
responsibilities through her nine years of service. She guarded polling
stations in order to monitor elections. She was also a trainer to young female
officers coming after her.
We have much work to be
done. Yet we must proceed undaunted.
Through the Law and
Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan, Japan has been one of the countries that has
always taken great pains to improve the capacity of Afghan police force and
also cultivate female police officers, whose number will be finally reaching
1,800, still far from enough. I have renewed my determination that we must
continue to provide support so that we should have no more Ms. Bibi.
Mr. President,
Ladies and gentlemen,
What I wanted to
emphasize through the real-life example of Ms. Nilufa in Bangladesh is the
necessity of promoting women's participation in society and of the empowerment
of women.
The Government of Japan
has positioned this as our foremost policy area and we will continue our highly
inventive efforts, including launching start-up businesses in Africa.
What Ms. Tokiko Sato,
the Japanese aid specialist, has appealed through her actions is the importance
of maternal, newborn and child health. This is an area where attainment of the
MDGs has been conspicuously slow.
My administration will,
as its second area of policy priority, engage in greater efforts in the field
of health and medical care for women.
Finally, what I hoped to
convey through the tragic example of Islam Bibi is the importance of women's
participation and protection in the areas of peace and security.
Japan intends to make
efforts towards measures that will ensure the participation of women at all
stages, including the prevention and resolution of conflicts as well as
peace-building, and that will also safeguard the rights and the physical
well-being of women who are exposed to danger in times of conflict.
I would like to state
here that in establishing these three pillars, the Government of Japan will implement ODA in excess of
US$3 billion over the next three years, targeting these pillars.
Mr. President,
Ladies and gentlemen,
In closing, if we were
to follow the wisdom of "womenomics" mentioned earlier, our
development concept under which we focus on cultivating the power of women
would engender more peace and well-being in the world.
I wish to bring about
"a society where women shine," both within Japan and also in regions
in conflict and countries suffering from poverty. I do not consider the outlook
to be optimistic. However, I know one thing: that in my country, Japan, there
are a considerable number of people who are working unsparingly towards that
end.
They are the people who
are making every effort to ready themselves to be able to work with you,
together.
Thank you very much.
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