Japan courts CARICOM support for UN Security Council bid
by Ivan Cairo
Caribbean Net News Correspondent
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
GEORGETOWN, Guyana: Once again in less then a week it became evident that the tiny nations forming CARICOM could play a critical role in international politics. After India and Brazil, Japan became the third country scrambling for CARICOM support in its bid to get a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council when this body is expanded. 
In his remarks at the opening ceremony of the new CARICOM headquarters here in Georgetown, Japan’s non-resident ambassador, Tatsuo Arima, called upon the CARICOM Heads of Government for support. 
It was only last week when India and Brazil made the same request at the 16th Inter-Sessional meeting of the CARICOM leaders held in Paramaribo, Suriname. 
In regard to the election for a new secretary general for the Organization of American States (OAS) the Caribbean nations already has the role of ‘kingmakers’, since they have 14 of the 34 votes in the OAS. 
“Whether we are worthy of your support or not, is for you to judge, but let me say that we are prepared to carry out further burdens, politically, economically and otherwise if so elected,” the Japanese diplomat told the CARICOM leaders. 
Today the international community is facing new threats, the Japanese ambassador said, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, terrorism and infectious diseases. 
“In order for the international community to cope with these threats it is necessary to reform the United Nations, in particular the Security Council to enhance its effectiveness and credibility and above all its legitimacy,” ambassador Arima further noted. 
According to the diplomat the discussion on reforming the Security Council now is going through a “very important phase”. 
He expressed that Japan has offered to take a permanent seat in the Security Council and since this country rejoined the UN in 1956 has tried its utmost to uphold and abide by the spirit, the purposes and objectives the UN provided for in the chapters. 
The United Nations is the only organization, the ambassador stressed, to provide long lasting peace and Japan wants to play a significant role in those efforts.