Permanent Missionof Japanto the United Nations
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S t a t e m e n tb y A m b a s s a d o rK e n z o O s h i m a P e r m a n e n tR e p r e s e n t a t i v e f J a p a n t o t h e U n i t e d N a t i o n s o The Third Committee New York, 30 October2006 Mr. Chairman,

Human rights are universal values, and no state may shirk its responsibility to p r o t e c t a n d p r o m o t e a l l h u m a n r i g h t s o f i t s o w n p e o p l e .I n a f r e e a n d d e m o c r a t i c society, respect for and protection of basic human rights is of fundamental i m p o r t a n c e f o r t h e g o v e r n m e n ta n d t h e c i t i z e n s .

Not only at the national level. As stipulated in the Vienna Declaration and the Programme of Action, the promotion and protection of all human rights is a l e g i t i m a t ec o n c e r no f t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a lc o m m u n i t y a s a w h o l e .

I n a c h i e v i n g t h i s o b j e c t i v ei n t h e r e a l w o r l d , w e r e c o g n i z et h a t a b a l a n c e n e e d st o b e struck between the "principle" level and "implementation" level. We endeavor to a c h i e v et h e p r o m o t i o n a n d p r o t e c t i o n o f h u m a n r i g h t s a s u n i v e r s a l v a l u e s ,w h i l e a t t h e s a m e t i m e t a k i n g i n t o a c c o u n t t h e d e f i n i n g s i t u a t i o n so f e a c h c o u n t r y i n r e g a r d t o its history,tradition and culture.

The United Nations has played a key role in standard setting in the field of human r i g h t s . A m o n g r e c e n t n o t a b l e s u c c e s s ea r e t h e d r a f t o f t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l C o n v e n t i o n s f o r t h e P r o t e c t i o n o f A l l P e r s o n sf r o m E n f o r c e d D i s a p p e a r a n c ew h i c h i s o n e o f t h e , first substantive outcomes of the Human Rights Council, and the draft of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,which concluded a long negotiation in the Ad Hoc Committee. Japan sincerely hopes that the General A s s e m b l yw i l l a d o p t t h e s ed r a f t C o n v e n t i o n sa s e a r l y a s p o s s i b l e .

Mr. Chairman,

T h e e s t a b l i s h m e n to f t h e H u m a n R i g h t s C o u n c i l r e p r e s e n t sa s i g n i f i c a n t s t e p f o r w a r d i n m a i n s t r e a m i n gh u m a n r i g h t s i n t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l c o m m u n i t y . B u i l d i n g o n t h e p a s t a c c o m p l i s h m e n t sm a d e , p a r t i c u l a r l y i n s t a n d a r d s e t t i n g b y t h e C o m m i s s i o n o n H u m a n R i g h t s , t h e n e w H u m a n R i g h t s C o u n c i l i s e x p e c t e dt o d e v e l o p i n t o a f o r u m which contributes to strengthening the capacity of states and communities to implement principles, rules and standards, and thus to make a difference on the ground in the protectionand promotion of human rights.

H o w e v e r , w e m u s t e x p r e s ss o m e c o n c e r n t h a t t h e p e r f o r m a n c e o f t h e C o u n c i l s o f a r . h a s n o t m e t o u r e x p e c t a t i o n sW e e a r n e s t l yh o p e t h a t t h e C o u n c i l w i l l f i n d i t s w a y t o foster a new spirit of international cooperation and to build up practices in the handling of human rights issues,particularly in addressing massive and grave , v i o l a t i o n s o f h u m a n r i g h t s , w i t h d e c i s i v e n e s ss w i f t n e s s a n d f l e x i b i l i t y . J a p a n i s c o m m i t t e d t o p l a y a c o n s t r u c t i v er o l e t o t h a t e n d a s a m e m b e r o f t h e C o u n c i l .

J a p a n s u p p o r t s t h e e f f o r t s o f t h e H i g h C o m m i s s i o n e rf o r H u m a n R i g h t s t o s t r e n g t h e n s o t h e c o u n t r y e n g a g e m e n t f h e r O f f i c e t h r o u g h s t e p p i n gu p t h e n e c e s s a r y u p p o r t a n d a t a s s i s t a n c eo t h e c o u n t r i e si n n e e d o f s u c h a s s i s t a n c e n d p r o v i d i n g a c o m p r e h e n s i v e t r e s p o n s e a i l o r e d t o t h e s p e c i f i cs i t u a t i o n so f t h e c o u n t r i e sc o n c e r n e d .

Mr. Chairman, I n t h e l a s t f e w d e c a d e s ,t h e h u m a n r i g h t s s i t u a t i o n i n t h e w o r l d h a s i m p r o v e d significantly; democratization and the rule of law have seen remarkable progress in m a n y p a r t s o f t h e w o r l d . H o w e v e r ,i t i s a l s o t r u e t h a t w e s t i l l w i t n e s sn u m e r o u sg r a v e v i o l a t i o n s o f h u m a n r i g h t s i n a n u m b e r o f s i t u a t i o n sa r o u n d t h e w o r l d . T h e U n i t e d Nations must continue to be active in helping to resolvethese graye human rights violations. In doing so, the international community must act in unity as much as p o s s i b l ea n d s e n d a c l e a r m e s s a g e g a i n s tt h o s ev i o l a t i o n s . a

O n e e x a m p l e c l o s e t o o u r s h o r e si s t h e D P R K , w h e r e s e r i o u sh u m a n r i g h t s v i o l a t i o n s c o n t i n u e w i t h n o s i g n o f i m p r o v e m e n t .T h e i s s u e o f a b d u c t i o n o f f o r e i g n n a t i o n a l s , i n c l u d i n g J a p a n e s en a t i o n a l s , b y t h e D P R K a g e n t s r e m a i n s u n r e s o l v e d .T h e D P R K a u t h o r i t i e s ,w h i l e a d m i t t i n g t h e f a c t t h a t t h e y a b d u c t e d J a p a n e s ec i t i z e n si n t h e p a s t , h a v e f a i l e d t o p r o v i d e s a t i s f a c t o r yi n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t t h e e l e v e ns u c h a b d u c t e e s u c h m to the grief of the affected families.

Japan calls on the DPRK to seriously address the issue of their human rights v i o l a t i o n s , i n c l u d i n g r e t u r n i n g t h e a b d u c t e e si m m e d i a t e l y t o t h e i r h o m e l a n d s . W e call on the DPRK to sincerelyrespond to the calls made in the General Assembly R e s o l u t i o no n t h e i r h u m a n r i g h t s s i t u a t i o n a d o p t e d l a s t y e a r , a s w e l l a s f h e c o n c e r n s e x p r e s s e di n t h e r e c e n t l y a d o p t e d S e c u r i t y C o u n c i l R e s o l u t i o n 1 7 1 8 t h a t c l e a r l y u n d e r l i n e d t h e i m p o r t a n c e f o r t h e D P R K t o r e s p o n d t o h u m a n i t a r i a n c o n c e r n so f t h e international community.

I w o u l d l i k e t o m e n t i o n t h a t t o d a y , i n t h i s c o n f e r e n c er o o m , s o m e f a m i l y m e m b e r so f t h e a b d u c t e e s a n d t h e i r s u p p o r t e r s a r e o b s e r v i n g t h e C o m m i t t e e d e l i b e r a t i o n s .M y d e l e g a t i o ns t r o n g l y h o p e s t h a t t h e d e l i b e r a t i o n si n t h i s C o m m i t t e e w i l l a s s i s ti n t h e i r e a r n e s td e s i r e t o r e s o l v et h i s p a i n f u l c a s eo f h u m a n d i g n i t y a s s o o n a s p o s s i b l e , n f u l l i r e s p e c to f h u m a n i t a r i a na n d h u m a n r i g h t s c o n c e r n s .

I n t h i s r e g a r d , J a p a n a p p r e c i a t e s h e s i n c e r ee f f o r t s b y t h e S p e c i a lR a p p o r t e u r o n t h e t human rights situation in the DPRK, Mr. Muntarbhorn. We strongly urge the DPRK to respond to the call from the international community and accept the visit of the S p e c i a lR a p p o r t e u r a s s o o n a s p o s s i b l e w h i c h i s t h e l e a s t m i n i m u m a n y s t a t e w h i c h , c a r e s a b o u t h u m a n r i g h t s o f c i t i z e n ss h o u l d d o . T h e D P R K a u t h o r i t i e s a r e e x p e c t e d t o s h o w t h i s m i n i m u m o f t h e r e s p e c to f t h e c o m m o n l y h e l d v a l u e ; t h e y a r e e x p e c t e d o t engage in dialogue with the international community, and not in threats with a n u c l e a r t e s t o r b a l l i s t i c m i s s i l el a u n c h e s .

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I n c o n c l u s i o nM r . C h a i r m a n , , Time is upon us now to redouble our efforts in order to promote and protect all h u m a n r i g h t s . J a p a n , f o r i t s p a r t , i s d e t e r m i n e d t o c o n t i n u e t o w o r k c o n s t r u c t i v e l yt o t h i s e n d , i n c o o p e r a t i o nw i t h t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l c o m m u n i t y , a n d i n p a r t i c u l a r w i t h t h e United Nations.