Statement by the Japanese Delegation at the Forty-Third Session of Working Group B of the Preparatory Commission for the CTBTO

Thank you, Mr. Chairman,
 

On behalf of the government of Japan, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Chairman, Dr. Haak, for your opening remarks and your efforts to coordinate this Working Group B (WGB) meeting, as well as all the Task Leaders and Friends of the Chair for their ongoing dedicated work.

Let me also thank the Executive Secretary Dr. Zerbo for his opening statement. Let me take this opportunity to confirm Japan’s intention to continue its support and enhance cooperation with the Provisional Technical Secretariat (PTS).
 

[Verification Regime]
 

Mr. Chairman,
 

Japan would like to commend the PTS for its consistent efforts in the development of the verification regime through the installation and maintenance of the highly reliable International Monitoring System (IMS) despite the current budgetary constraints.

We hope that the PTS will continue to make progress on the development of the IMS network and to operate the network with the same high quality of verification technology as before, in order for the network to be prepared in case of a potential nuclear testing. We further hope that the PTS will proceed with the build-up, maintenance and recapitalization of IMS stations in a steady and well planned manner.

The Integrated Field Exercise in 2014 (IFE14) is one of the most important undertakings of this year, not only for the On-Site Inspection (OSI) Division, but for the whole CTBTO. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the host country of the IFE14, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. We hope that a high level visit during the IFE14 will enhance the understanding of the verification regime and increase the momentum for early entry into force of the Treaty not only for the countries in the Middle-East, but also for countries all over the world. We are looking forward to a successful implementation of the IFE14 and hope that the lessons learned from this exercise will be duly reflected in the next OSI action plan.
 

[Election of the Chairperson of the WGB]
 

Please allow me to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to Dr. Haak, the Chairman of the Working Group, for his excellent leadership in WGB since 2006. We believe that the Chairperson of WGB needs to have a thorough understanding of the science and technology of the verification regime, and we hope that an appropriate candidate will be chosen as the new chair of WGB. We are looking forward to the informal event being held on 25 August and hope that a consensus will be forged on this issue.
 

[Working Procedure of WGB]
 

We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the PTS for uploading relevant documents and information papers for WGB on the Expert Communication System (ECS) in a timely manner. However, we have always appreciated the week zero briefings for WGB in the past and would like to express our regret that the briefing was not held before WGB this time.

The issues to be discussed in WGB, despite being highly technical in nature, serve as an important basis for the direction of CTBTO activities. Not only for scientists and experts, but all delegations of State Signatories should be able to understand the important points of discussions in order to effectively participate. In this regard, we consider the week zero briefings to be very useful. We hope that the briefings will be held again in the future as a venue to explain important issues of upcoming WGB sessions.
Many States Signatories are faced with a difficult economic situation, making it difficult for the CTBTO to receive financial resources in an automatic manner. WGB plays an essential role in this regard by allowing for the identification and presentation to States Signatories of different budgetary options for activities. The thorough consideration of costs and benefits is useful to ask for the understanding of State Signatories in this matter. We are confident that such discussions will lead to further substantial debates in Working Group A.
 

[Conclusion]
 

In closing, I would like to mention that we are looking forward to successful discussions during this WGB, which we hope will produce substantial outcomes for achieving the States Signatories’ common aim of a steady sustainment and development of the verification regime. For this purpose, I would like to assure you, Mr. Chairman and the Task Leaders, of Japan’s continuous support in all possible ways.
 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.