UN General Assembly
2010

damage following the tragic earthquake earlier this year, a team of engineers from the Japan Self-Defence Forces is actively contributing to the United Nations peacekeeping operation’s recovery efforts. In flood-hit Pakistan, we currently have helicopters of the Self- Defence Forces providing assistance as an international disaster relief team. With regard to Timor-Leste, we recently took the decision to send military liaison officers to the United Nations peacekeeping operation on the ground. Japan will continue to actively participate in United Nations peacekeeping and disaster relief operations. Furthermore, we will make concrete efforts in such areas as investing in peace using official development assistance, providing assistance to training centres for peacekeeping operations and developing human resources, such as in the training of civilian peacebuilding experts in Asia. Of all the places in the world where peacebuilding efforts are under way, Afghanistan in particular is at a crucial stage. At this moment, it is Afghanistan that poses the greatest challenge for the international community in terms of peacebuilding, and it is to Afghanistan that Japan is providing its most