Today, as we bear witness to the emergence of a diversification of actors in conflict prevention, the importance of the United Nations as a body coordinating the efforts of such diverse actors is further increasing, and as such requires the enhancement of the United Nations' own peacekeeping operation capacities. While Japan recognizes the importance of complex UN peacekeeping operations, such as those in East Timor and Kosovo, traditional peacekeeping operations will also continue to play a key role throughout the world. Japan will evaluate the Secretary-General's initiative to establish a deliberative panel on UN peacekeeping operations to review all aspects of operations. Japan will further make efforts to enhance the security of UN personnel and associated personnel of humanitarian aid organizations and other actors, and will continue to urge countries that have not concluded the Convention on the Safety of UN and Associated Personnel to do so. Japan will also work to enhance South-South cooperation.
Japan believes that it is vital to incorporate a people-centered focus into development.
Taking the opportunity of the UN Special Session on Children to be held in September 2001 as a follow-up to the World Summit for Children, Japan will continue to contribute to improving the state of children's health worldwide and the dissemination of education. In December 2001, Japan will host the Second World Congress Against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in Yokohama in order to strengthen the protection of children from commercial sexual exploitation. While relevant treaties provide the individual rules for many areas that pertain to one another, more effective and efficient implementation of relevant environmental treaties is essential. As enshrined in the G8 Communique Okinawa 2000, Japan reaffirms its support for the adoption of the United Nations Transnational Organized Crime Convention, and will work together with countries with the view to adopting the Convention's related protocols during 2000. Given the low level of Japanese nationals active in the United Nations at present, Japan and the United Nations must continue to call for an increase in the number of Japanese personnel.