UN General Assembly
1992

important to maintain and strengthen the frameworks for dealing with issues either bilaterally or among several countries concerned, and, simultaneously, to seek to promote region-wide dialogue. I believe that, at the present time, one of the forums that has the greatest potential for such region-wide dialogue is the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Post-Ministerial Conference. Japan suggested last year that this forum be used for political dialogue of the type to which I am referring. In an effort to promote greater cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region which at the same time is open to the outside world, Japan has been contributing actively to the development of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). I should now like to turn to the question of responding to new threats. The threats facing humankind today are not all military. Problems relating to the deterioration of the global environment, refugees, poverty, overpopulation, drugs, AIDS and other threats of a non-military nature are becoming increasingly serious. It is not enough simply to treat the symptoms; the United Nations and the international community must join hands to remove