ACTIVITIES OF SECRETARY-GENERAL IN JAPAN, 21 - 25 FEBRUARY
Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrived in Tokyo on Saturday afternoon, 21 February, for an official visit to Japan.
On Sunday morning, he started the day with a visit to the Meiji Jingu, a shrine situated in a forest of 120,000 trees in the centre of Tokyo.
After listening to the beating of a Japanese drum, the Secretary-General laid a ceremonial tree branch at the shrine’s altar. He then watched two “gagaku” performances by dancers wearing traditional costumes while musicians played instruments brought into Japan from China and Korea more than 1,000 years ago. He also attended a tea ceremony.
He then attended a luncheon hosted by former High Commissioner for Refugees, Sadako Ogata, current President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, which oversees the country’s technical assistance to developing countries.
He also met with former Japanese ambassador to the United Nations, Yukio Satoh, who is now the Director of the Japan Institute of International Affairs.
Later on Sunday, he met with Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi. They discussed, at the meeting and then at dinner hosted by her, a wide range of issues including Iraq, Afghanistan, the Middle East, the Korean peninsula, United Nations reform, African development and HIV/AIDS.
The Secretary-General told reporters he had studied the report and recommendations of the fact-finding mission to Iraq led by his envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi. He went on to say that he would release the report of the team’s work the following day in New York.
“Let me stress that the international cooperation would be essential as we move ahead and help the Iraqi people regain their sovereignty and build a peaceful, democratic and stable Iraq”, the Secretary-General said.
The Secretary-General began the day Monday with an audience with Emperor Akihito at the ImperialPalace.
After meeting with Hans J.A. Van Ginkel, Rector of United Nations University headquartered in Tokyo, and then with United States Ambassador to Japan Howard Baker, the Secretary-General headed for a lunch with leaders of the Japan Business Federation, known as Keidanren.
The lunch was hosted by Hiroshi Okuda, Chairman of the Toyota Motor Corporation, who also chairs the powerful business federation of more than 1,500 corporations. Among the guests were representatives of three of the 14 Japanese members of the Global Compact initiative to promote responsible corporate citizenship.
“It is very exciting to see the Compact blossom in this country...”, the Secretary-General told the business leaders. “Japanese companies, already established leaders in the world economy in a wide range of industries and sectors, are demonstrating ever stronger leadership in the field of corporate citizenship.”
“Around the world, Japanese companies are known for their innovation and for producing goods of superb quality. By combining this with a deep commitment to universal values, Japanese companies are well placed to enjoy the wider benefits of what some are calling ‘responsible competitiveness’”, he said. (See Press Release SG/SM/9165.)
In the afternoon, the Secretary-General met with Takenori Kanzaki, Representative of the New Komeito, the junior (political party) partner in the ruling coalition.
In the evening, he had a meeting followed by a working dinner with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
Speaking to reporters after the one-hour meeting dominated by an exchange of views on Iraq, the Secretary-General described his visit to Japan as having come “at a very crucial time”.
He told the press that he briefed the Prime Minister on Iraq and the fact-finding mission. “We both agreed that the electoral issue is extremely important and we need to find a way of moving forward. We need to find a mechanism.”
“We’re working, of course, with the Iraqis, helping the Iraqis determine a mechanism for establishing an interim or transitional government so that the transfer of power, which is anticipated on the 30th of June, will go ahead”, he said.
He went on to say: “We also talked about the role of the United Nations and the importance of the United Nations going back to Iraq and I assured the Prime Minister that the United Nations has always been ready to play its role and shared with him the plans we have for doing that on condition that security would not be an impediment because it is an essential condition for the work of the United Nations for average Iraqi people and also for all the things that we want to do in Iraq.”
“So the UN is ready to play its role as the (Security) Council indicated once the circumstances are right”, he said. “We are preparing ourselves to play that role.”
At a working dinner, there was a wide-ranging discussion on issues ranging from United Nations reform, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Afghanistan, the Global Compact and Japan’s continued support for the work of the United Nations.
The Secretary-General began his day Tuesday with a breakfast with representatives of the “Parliamentary Group for the United Nations”.
Also that morning, he met with the Ambassador of Ghana to Japan, Barfour Adjei Barwuah.
On that day, Kofi Annan became the first Secretary-General of the United Nations to address the Japanese Diet or Parliament.
Describing his visit to Japan as having come “at a decisive moment”, he summarized to the members of Parliament the findings of the report of the United Nations fact-finding mission on the political transition in Iraq released hours earlier in New York, and outlined the formidable challenges ahead.
The Secretary-General then applauded Japan for having “taken the lead in embracing this challenge” by responding to the appeals of the United Nations Security Council and showing “commendable solidarity with Iraq’s plight”.
“You have pledged to contribute generously to reconstruction”, he told a packed chamber at midday. “And after a difficult debate, you have dispatched the Self-Defence Forces to Samawah to help with reconstruction and humanitarian assistance.”
He also said, “The United Nations would be willing to offer its assistance to help build consensus among Iraqis on the specific powers, structure and composition of such a provisional governance body, and the process through which it could be established.”
The Secretary-General also acknowledged Japan’s dissatisfaction with some aspects of its relationship with the United Nations such as the slow pace of reforming the Security Council, the “anachronistic ‘enemy’ clauses of the United Nations Charter and its feeling of being over-assessed for the regular United Nations budget and being underrepresented in the ranks of the Secretariat”.
“But I hope and trust that these frustrations will not prevail over Japan’s commitment to multilateralism and its global leadership”, he said.
Turning to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, an issue which came up in virtually all his meetings with Japanese officials, he said, “We need Japan’s active diplomatic engagement to ensure that the KoreanPeninsula is free of nuclear weapons. I am encouraged by the resumption of multilateral talks tomorrow in Beijing, and pledge to do whatever I can and offer you my firm support for this process.”
The Secretary-General also said that renowned Japanese architect, Fumihiko Maki, is expected to be formally selected to design a new addition to the United Nations Headquarters complex in New York. (See Press Release SG/SM/9167.)
On Tuesday afternoon, the Secretary-General met with Democratic Party leader NaotoKan.
Later on Tuesday, the Secretary-General gave a press conference during which he emphasized the need for improved security conditions in Iraq for United Nations staff to return in larger numbers and for a longer term.
Security must be improved. “Otherwise, I risk repeating the experience of 19 August [2003]”, he said in response to questions.
“I'm not insisting on Iraq becoming as peaceful as Tokyo or Geneva”, he also said, “but there is a minimum that we would require for our staff to go back.”
Following the Diet address and the press conference, the Secretary-General wound up his sixth visit to Japan with a tea ceremony at the Urasenke Tokyo Dojo.
Mr. Annan also telephoned a Japanese staff member recovering from his injuries in the August 19 Baghdad bombing.
The Secretary-General returned to New York on Wednesday, 25 February.