## 2 ) International Emergency Relief Activity

When major disasters have occurred overseas the police dispatches the International Emergency Relief Team to disaster-hit areas to carry out an international emergency assistance activities (search and rescue), as well as a specialist unit to collect and identify the victims.

When a big earthquake hit Sichuan, China in May 2008, upon a request from China, the police dispatched 20 police personnel as the International Emergency Relief Team to conduct activities of search and rescue, and communications.

## 3 ) Approach on the United Nations Activities (Civilian Police Activities)

Three police personnel (two for civilian police activities and one for liaison and coordination) were dispatched to the East Timor International Peace Cooperation Unit since January 2007 and three personnel for the second dispatch in August 2007. Guidance and advice regarding police administration duties were provided to the Interior Ministry and national police of East Timor.

## (2) Strengthening International Cooperation

When an international crime occurs, the police are striving to solve the incidents by exchanging information with the public security organization in the foreign countries through the International Criminal Police Organization-Interpol (IPCO-Interpol) and diplomatic authorities. Moreover, efforts are being taken to strengthen the relationship by participating in international conferences and promoting bilateral discussions, along with participating in negotiations of treaties.

## 1 ) Cooperation with other G8 countries

The G8 public security authorities address issues requiring international cooperation at the G8 Ministers of Justice and Interior Conference and the G8 Roma/Lyon Group. The NPA joins these conferences on an ongoing basis and proactively participates in their discussions, and also strives to take a leading role in setting and considering the order of business so that achievements of these meetings should contribute to the promotion of domestic public security measures in Japan. In recent years, international organized crime and terrorism are often put on the agenda of the G8 Summit meetings. Leaders gathering at the Hokkaido Toyako Summit held in July 2008 adopted the “G8 Leaders Statement on Counter-Terrorism,” reaffirming their firm commitment to countering terrorism with every means at their disposal.

### a. G8 Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial Meeting

The Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission and top executives of the National Police Agency have been attending the G8 Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial Meeting, held on an ongoing basis since 1997, discussing problems related to international organized crime and terrorism, reporting on the progress in Japanese efforts and proactively participating in the drafting of joint declarations and other documents.

In June 2008, the National Police Agency and the Ministry of Justice jointly hosted the G8 Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial Meeting in Tokyo, the first to be held in Japan. The Tokyo Conference addressed such issues as international counterterrorism measures, measures against drug-related crimes, the building of the Universal Network $ ^{1} $ to counter international organized crime, and support for capacity-building initiatives $ ^{2} $ , and adopted the G8 Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial Declaration on Capacity Building Assistance along with the Concluding Declaration.

### b. G8 Roma/Lyon Group

The G8 Counter-Terrorism Experts Group (Roma Group) $ ^{3} $ and the G8 Senior Experts Group on Transnational Organized Crime (Lyon Group) $ ^{4} $ have been holding joint meetings as the G8 Roma/Lyon Group since the simultaneous terrorist attacks in the United States in September 2001. Currently, the Roma/Lyon Group has several sub-groups under the Group leaders' meeting that coordinates discussions regarding the Group as a whole, and each sub-group deals with different tasks including law enforcement, cybercrimes and counterterrorism. Most of review results achieved in each sub-group are reported to the G8 Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial Meeting.