financial contributions to the Fund of the United Nations. In fiscal year 2003, the contributions totaled approximately 3.04 million yen. The contributions were used for such projects as the strengthening of control on illicit drug transactions, training of law enforcement officers in border area for investigation, techniques, training of experts for analyzing confiscated drugs including ATS, and the development of rural communities depending on poppy cultivation in Myanmar.

Bilaterally, Japan has assisted developing countries in preventing drug-related crimes and enhancing their drug control capabilities. Realizing that poverty has existed behind drug problems, Japan has helped farmers in developing countries live without depending on production of drug materials (including poppy), by supporting their production of alternative plants and providing assistance through NGOs. In fiscal year 2003, Japan sent five countries 11 experts in drug identification, drug control and measures for drug addicts. Specifically, experts were dispatched to the Philippines where illicit production and abuses of stimulants have become a serious problem. In July 2002, the Philippines established the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) under the Presidential Office to enhance drug enforcement. But the Philippines lacks drug identification know-how indispensable for the effective promotion of drug enforcement investigations and information collection. This has become a great constraint on operations of Philippine law enforcement agencies. Therefore, Japan has sent experts to hold seminars for Philippine drug enforcement officers on how to identify, distinguish and control drugs. These experts have also trained Philippine drug enforcement officers for utilization of drug identification, investigation and surveillance machines. In order to tackle drug problems in the Indochinese region, Japan has also implemented the "Regional Cooperation Project on Capacity Building of Drug Analysis for Improvement of Drug Law Enforcement in Thailand, Cambodia, Lao P.D.R., Myanmar and Vietnam, based in Thailand (see page 147 of ODA White Paper 2003 for details about the project).

In modern society that features globalization, progress in high technology machines and expansion of human movements, large-scale organized crimes are committed and implemented across borders. Threats of such international organized crimes have grown serious. These crimes include illegal transactions in drugs and guns, trafficking of stolen goods, business and economic crimes like fraud and embezzlement, currency and credit card forgery, corruption, financial crimes like tax evasion and money laundering, prostitution, illegal immigration, and trafficking in person, especially affecting women and children. In order to combat these international organized crimes, nations must toughen their respective judicial and law enforcement systems and promote international judicial and law enforcement cooperation in closing legal loopholes. Japan has sponsored seminars for enhancing these measures and positively supported efforts of relevant international organizations.

### 4. Peace-Building

Since the end of the Cold War, disputes stemming from ethnic, religious, and historical strife have been intensified in many parts of the world. As a result, regional and domestic conflicts have increased in frequency. In such conflicts, most victims are noncombatants such as ordinary citizens and children. Often, a large number of refugees and evacuees from the areas of conflict cause serious problems with regard to humanity and violation of human rights. Furthermore, conflicts instantly ruin the fruits of long-term development efforts in the areas, causing tremendous economic damage. Having noticed the changes in the causes and forms of conflicts, the international community started to realize that the prevention and solution of conflicts require comprehensive measures including nation-building in post-conflict situations as well as political endeavors such as PKOs (Peacekeeping Operations), dispatch of multinational forces, preventive diplomacy, and dispute settlement. In this context, the importance of development assistance in peace-building has increased.

Against this backdrop, Japan announced the "Action from Japan on 'Conflict and Development'" in July 2000, expressing its intention to give comprehensive support through ODA (Official Development Assistance) programs. The support will be given in such a way that damage is reduced at all stages of conflict-related assistance starting from conflict prevention, emergency humanitarian aid, and rehabilitation and reconstruction assistance, to the prevention of the recurrence of conflicts and full-scale development aid. At a policy speech in Sydney in May 2002, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi voiced his determination to actively take part in the peace-building through ODA programs and other measures, while expressing Japan's intention to "strengthen cooperation for the consolidation of peace and nation-building in countries suffering from conflict" and noting "this policy has become a new pillar of Japan's international cooperation." Based on this policy, Japan has been giving seamless assistance according to the stages of conflicts. Such assistance includes emergency humanitarian aid during conflicts, promotion of early ending of the conflicts, and assistance for the consolidation of peace and rebuilding of states after the conflicts. These efforts are specified in the new ODA Charter revised in August 2003 as a