Statement by the Japanese Delegation at the Twenty-Third Joint Meeting of Working Groups A and B of the Preparatory Commission for the CTBTO

Thank you, Mr. Chairman,
 

On behalf of the Government of Japan, I would like to thank the Chair of Working Group A, Ambassador Azeez, and the Chair of Working Group B, Dr. Haak, for their ongoing dedicated work and their efforts to coordinate this joint meeting. I also would like to thank the Executive Secretary, Dr. Zerbo, for his informative opening remarks.

Allow me to take this opportunity to congratulate Dr. Nurcan Meral Özel on her appointment as Director of the International Monitoring System Division. We would like to reassure you of our continuing support and our intention to work hand in hand with the new Director.
 

[Friends’ Ministerial Meeting]
 

Mr. Chairman,
 

The “Friends of the CTBT” (Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Japan and the Netherlands) and the Article XIV conference co-presidents (Hungary and Indonesia) will hold the seventh CTBT Friends’ Ministerial Meeting during the high level week of the sixty-ninth session of the United Nations General Assembly on 26 September. The meeting has been tentatively scheduled for the afternoon.

For this meeting to reinforce the political momentum towards the early entry into force of the Treaty, we stress the importance of the attendance of ministerial level participants. The Secretary General of the United Nations Mr. Ban Ki-Moon and Executive Secretary Dr. Zerbo are expected to participate in the meeting. Japan will co-chair the Ministerial Meeting together with Australia, and we hope that all States will send participants at the ministerial level and will associate with the Joint Ministerial Statement. In addition, we call upon all States to support us in the endeavour of making the Ministerial Meeting a success.
 

[Budget]
 

Mr. Chairman,

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Chairman of Working Group A, Ambassador Azeez, for convening informal meetings on the budget. My delegation believes that it is essential to continue substantial consultations on the budget in informal meetings in the future. Therefore we hope that the next informal meeting will be held shortly after the Advisory Group meeting in the beginning of September. For the informal meeting, we expect the Provisional Technical Secretariat (PTS) to continue to provide sufficient explanations on the issues and questions raised by States Signatories in the past.

Regarding the suggestion to introduce a biennial budget, we appreciate the PTS’s plan to issue an Information Paper on this subject shortly. Japan devotes great attention to the possibility of introducing a biennial budget to realize a more efficient budget. My delegation hopes that intensive discussions will be held on this subject at the coming Advisory Group meeting and informal meetings of Working Group A.
 

[Conclusion]
 

Mr. Chairman,

We highly commend the PTS for its efforts in providing explanations and conducting outreach activities, such as the organization of a briefing session on the activities of the Group of Eminent Persons (GEM), the Voluntary Support Forum (VSF) and the CTBT Diplomacy and Public Policy Course, which will be held next week. We hope that the PTS will continue to regularly provide opportunities for delegations to participate in such highly transparent briefings.

Let me conclude by expressing Japan’s sincere hope that during this Joint Meeting valuable discussions will be held with the prospect of contributing towards achieving our common goals of early entry into force of the Treaty and the establishment of the verification regime.
 

Thank you, Mr Chairman.