Recommendations to Enhance Effectiveness ofJapanese PKO Activities
January 2013
Institute for International Policy Studies

Summary
The year 2012 marked the twentieth anniversary of the Act on Cooperation for United
Nations Peacekeeping Operations and Other Operations, which was passed in 1992. In
the intervening years, Japan has revised this law twice and made repeated operational
improvements.
In addition, it is now around 20 years since the end of the Cold War, during whichtime the nature of conflict has shifted from traditional war between states to internal
struggles and ethnic conflicts, and the nature of United Nations peacekeeping operations(PKO) has undergone a radical transformation. Japan, however, has not been able tokeep pace with these changes.
Based on a review of this subject, this article marks the twentieth anniversary of thestart of Japanese PKO by offering a set of recommendations that will enable Japan toconduct more effective and full-fledged PKO activities.
Strategy and policy—nationwide formulation and execution of policy

The PKO law sets out the procedures and conditions for Japanese participation in PKO
activities. However, it does not elucidate any principles or strategy to guide Japan’s
involvement in such activities.
For this reason, the cabinet must set out basic principles regarding the nature ofJapanese participation in PKO and agree on a “Charter on International Peacekeeping
Activities” that can serve as a blueprint for the construction of a nationwide cooperative
system. As part of this Charter, the cabinet should set out fundamental principles and amedium- to long-term course based on its policy determinations. It should also stipulatethat the cabinet will establish a liaison committee consisting of heads of ministries andagencies, under the direction of the deputy chief cabinet secretary, that will serve as asystem for government-wide cooperation, and that the cabinet will periodically engage
in consultation and coordination regarding policy and operational matters. This will
enable a wide range of officials (including those responsible for policing, judicial affairs,
human rights, and development, as well as those responsible for foreign policy anddefense) to share information and to jointly analyze and evaluate it.
Reviewing legal regulation and changing the interpretation of Article 9 of theConstitution regarding international peacekeeping activities

Japan’s so-called Five Principles for Participation in Peacekeeping Operations and itsown legal interpretation of logistics support and weapons use (which is regarded as
being in contradiction with the notions of the “use of force” and the concept of-1-

“Ittaika”i) do not accord with UN standards and impose various constraints on thenature of Japanese PKO participation and on the specific PKO activities that Japan may
undertake.
For this reason, Japan should adjust its interpretation of Article 9 of the Constitution
to the following: “When Japan, in the universal interest of maintaining international
peace and security, participates in measures taken pursuant to a resolution of the United
Nations Security Council or with the authorization of it, such activities are not taken as
implementation of the sovereign right and thus do not constitute “the threat or use offorce” prohibited by Article 9 of the Constitution.” By doing so, Japan will establish alegal foundation for engaging in the same PKO activities (with the same perceptions) as
other nations that contribute troops, and thus for making a more active commitment tothese efforts.
Expanding the scope of participation by the Self-Defense Forces

In recent years, the military component of UN PKO missions has required greater
military capability and more advanced equipment and materiel than ever before. In thepast, Japan’s contribution has principally consisted of dispatching engineering units;
however, there is scope for making wider ranging use of the abilities of the
Self-Defense Forces. In more specific terms, deployment of multi-purpose logisticalunits, observation/surveillance (including high resolution) units, and units in charge ofinstruction and training represents potentially promising options whereby Japan could
make a significant contribution. These are specializations in which the risk of casualties
is relatively low and only the industrialized nations are really equipped to dispatch theappropriate personnel. In terms of the quality of their equipment, their proficiency, andfuture trends in military technology, Japan’s Self-Defense Forces would be well able todispatch these types of units—although challenges do remain.
Participation by civilian police

In recent years, the requirement for civilian police in UN PKO activities has grown, andover 13,000 civilian police are presently deployed on the 15 current missions. However,Japan is not currently contributing a single civilian police officer to these efforts—awoefully inadequate state of affairs given Japan’s power as a nation.
For this reason, Japan must make civilian police work part of the primary duties ofthe police and, above all, must develop a system based on the collaborative training ofpersonnel, so that Japanese police can rapidly and effectively participate in civilian
police activities. Specifically, Japan will need to conduct training—led by veterans of
PKO deployments and specialists from various countries—at international police
centers and develop a registration system for those who wish to apply for deployment
overseas.
Encouraging civilian participation

Despite the fact that both the importance of civilian activities in UN PKO missions andthe accompanying personnel requirements have increased rapidly in recent years,
Japanese civilians account for approximately only 0.3% of the total civilian personnel
deployed—an extremely low proportion. If Japan were to assist in nation building in theareas of democracy and the rule of law, this would increase Japan’s degree ofi

An argument that logistics support, such as supply and medical services, etc., is construed as anunconstitutional use of force when deemed to be an integrated part of the use of force by a thirdcountry.

-2-contribution to a meaningful level. The following initiatives will be necessary in orderto encourage civilian participation: first, centers must be established for the training ofpersonnel (including civil servants as well as private citizens) based on the “Charter on
International Peacekeeping Activities” mentioned above; second, the central
government must prevail upon public institutions, including local governments,
universities, and research organizations, to take steps that are favorable to theemployment of people who have taken part in PKO activities; third, people who are
already working for an organization and who aspire to participate in UN PKO activities
must be granted the possibility of doing so with the guaranteed right to return to theirformer posts afterwards.
Contributions in senior posts

Since the time of Yasushi Akashi and Sukehiro Hasegawa, no Japanese has served in asenior post such as force commander or special representative of the UN
secretary-general. The appointment of a Japanese to a senior position would serve toincrease interest in PKO activities domestically in Japan and to showcase the best ofJapanese leadership. To achieve this end, Japan will have to engage in the strategic
training of personnel.
Promoting female participation in PKO activities

Great importance has come to be placed on an increasing female presence among
personnel engaged in UN PKO activities in recent years, since the female perspective
has proved indispensable in all aspects of operations.
For this reason, Japan should actively select as many female personnel as possiblefor deployment as police officers. In order to increase the proportion of female civilian
personnel, the government must also promote exchanges between, on the one hand,female NGO staff and female researchers in the fields of peace and development, and,on the other hand, women who have been deployed in PKO activities. The government
must also develop a mentoring system.
Establishing a Center for International Peace Activitiesii

In response to the changes that have occurred in the nature of UN PKO activities inrecent years, Japan must establish a Center for International Peace Activities that willserve as a hub for personnel training so as to enable the various components ofoperations (military, police, and civilian) to cooperate cohesively on the ground. Thiscenter must be able to fulfill the following four functions: teach the military, police, andcivilian components of PKO activities in a comprehensive and coordinated fashion,serve as an academic center for research and investigation, maintain the capability togather and disseminate information on an international scale, and pool and swiftly
deploy trained civilian personnel.
Cooperation with ODA activities

Undeniably, cooperation between PKO and ODA activities has, in the past, been reliant
to a great extent on ad hoc initiatives on the ground. In order to achieve cooperation thatmakes the best use of the respective strengths of the military and civilian components, itwould be desirable to maintain a framework that in time of peace allows the variousorgans of government to work together in unison to make policy, supervise operations,share information, and accumulate experience. One specific idea would be to establish asmall-scale unit that would prescribe cooperation with ODA activities in accordanceii

Provisional name.

-3-with the “Charter on International Peacekeeping Activities,” to which operatives fromrelevant government bodies such as the Ministry of Defense, the National Police
Agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and JICA (the Japan International Cooperation
Agency) would be seconded.
As rules and systems are devised for the international community, Japan must
continue to maintain a voice that will suitably reflect its own interests as well, so thatthe nation can continue to enjoy peace and prosperity amid the continuing expansion ofglobalization and interdependence between nations. In that sense, it is advisable forJapan to increase its participation in PKO activities that assist countries and regions
where conditions are the most desperate. Numerous reform measures have already beensuggested (including those presented in this set of recommendations), and many
government officials and politicians have been made aware of the issues involved. What
Japan still requires is the political will to put these suggestions into practice.

-4© IIPS (Institute for International Policy Studies)