August 12, 2024
I thank Secretary-General António Guterres, President of the General Assembly Dennis Francis, and Mrs. Mbete for their insightful briefings.
I begin by commending the outstanding leadership of Your Excellency President Bio in holding this timely Debate. Japan welcomes Africa’s initiative in taking a driver’s seat in our shared journey of Security Council reform. As Africa has suffered historical injustice, it carries a powerful voice which reverberates around the globe.
Security Council reform is at a critical juncture. Current geopolitical developments have exposed the many challenges surrounding the body. If the Council continues to lack fair representation, its legitimacy, credibility and effectiveness, and even that of the UN as a whole, will erode. That will serve none of us.
As a Council member, Japan has worked together with the A3 to enable the Council to fulfill its expected functions. Japan recognizes Africa’s growing contribution to the world peace and security and welcomes Africa’s efforts to shoulder more responsibility in the chamber. The landmark resolution 2719 on financing of AU-led Peace Support Operations adopted last year is a case in point.
Given Africa’s essential role in the Council, redressing the historical injustice against Africa and other unrepresented and underrepresented regions is long overdue. To rectify the existing imbalances and ineffectiveness, the Council has to be reformed with an expansion in both permanent and non-permanent membership.
On reform and other issues alike, Japan is a long-standing partner for Africa. Our guiding principle is to support African ownership and co-create solutions through partnership. Since 1993, Japan and Africa have strode forward together under the TICAD (Tokyo International Conference on African Development) framework, guided by our shared goals. Later this month, Ministers from African countries will meet in Tokyo again to discuss how Japan and the international community can contribute to Africa’s endeavor to tackle their challenges and lay the groundwork for the upcoming TICAD9 Summit next year.
Our approach of respecting the principle of African solutions to African problems is consistent with our wide-ranging cooperative initiatives such as our contribution to the UN Triangular Partnership Program, the AU Peace Fund and PKO training centers in Africa.
For Security Council reform, Japan’s approach does not vary; we support Africa’s aspirations and work side-by-side, thereby enabling the Council to better address issues in Africa and beyond. Japan, in our national capacity and also as a G4 member, proudly supports the Common African Position, including no less than two permanent seats for Africa.
Mr. President,
Pivotal opportunities await. The Summit of the Future will be a vital forum to set out the progress made so far concerning reform discussions and send a forward-looking message for future negotiations. Japan supports the paragraph on Africa in the current draft text of the Pact for the Future, which rightly touches on the imperative to redress historical injustice.
After the Summit comes the next critical round of the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN). We very much look forward to Africa’s reform model being submitted for discussion as was announced by Sierra Leone on behalf of the Africa Group in the recent IGN, and to further advancing efforts to develop a consolidated model as a concrete step forward.
Mr. President,
As you rightly stated during the General Debate of the High-level Week last year, “the historical injustices endured by the African continent remain unsolved in the IGN.” We have to remind ourselves that the only way to resolve this imbalance is to expand not only non-permanent seats but also permanent seats with all the existing rights and responsibilities. Throughout the history of the IGN, the vast majority of Member States and groups, including the Africa Group, the G4, L69, CARICOM, the Nordic Group, the Benelux Group, and several permanent members, have been calling for the expansion of both categories. This should be a guiding formula for our actions going forward.
We must not lower our ambitions. Just as with other pressing issues facing the UN, we need to come together at a negotiation table in the quest for reaching tangible deliverables through negotiations on a single text. Let me reaffirm our commitment and readiness to do so. We count on Africa as an indispensable partner along the way. You can count on us as well. Finally, I would like to add Japan aligns itself with the G4 statement to be delivered by India later.
Thank you.