Chair Sukehiro Hasegawa (Global Governance Promotion Committee) intervened multiple times, first spotlighting refugee support as a concrete entry point for discussion, then arguing that Japan, Korea, and China should form a pivotal axis to energize wider regional cooperation. On UN Security Council reform, he advanced a specific plan to add ten re-electable five-year seats, urging Japan to exercise leadership oriented toward global, not merely national, interests.
Reporter: Koki Imon.
For more detailed contents of this meeting, please see here..
Full Statement (English Translation)
Time is short, so I would like to raise a single point to Mr. Chatterjee to spur discussion. Before that, as Ms. Nemoto and colleagues from UNHCR pointed out the plight of people in difficult circumstances such as refugees, let me offer one example of what Japan is doing. Here with us is Ms. Lisa, who came from Ukraine and is now helping our work. May I ask her to speak for two or three minutes about how she is doing now?
Professor Koike, two months ago President José Ramos-Horta of Timor-Leste visited here. Japan Communist Party Chair Ms. Tamura was also present, and President Ramos-Horta said that “Japan should contribute to international peace not only with China and Korea but also by working with ASEAN countries and India, and it should show leadership.” How can Japan exercise such leadership?
As I said earlier, “Japan, Korea, and China” should serve as a regional fulcrum, and their cooperation can provide velocity to rebuild relations across ASEAN and between China and India. There is immense potential in this.
What is missing in the world today is global leadership.
Hence what we need is the rise of regional leadership. In reality, the world has entered a multipolar era, and that trend is now unshakable.
In a multipolar world, how can we make multilateralism work?
To achieve it, leadership from each member state is indispensable.
Japan’s influence is extremely important and decisive in that regard.
Thank you.
Does anyone else have comments on this point?
Mr. Kaieda, as I told Prime Minister Ishiba three years ago, those actually blocking Security Council reform are six countries that seek to become permanent members themselves—two of them in Africa—and Japan is one of them.
In other words, these countries only think about becoming like the P5 and are focused solely on their own interests.
However, all countries agree on increasing seats by ten. Therefore, Professor Akashi and I propose adding ten re-electable five-year seats. That would allow Japan to enter as early as next year and maintain a seat through elections.
Thus, the leadership required is not one that serves only one’s own country, but one that considers the interests of the entire world. I strongly hope Japan will assume that role.