Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

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Koizumi's speech in UN

Prime minister Koizumiis going to make a speech on 21st and express his resolution for that Japan should become a permanent member of the UN security council. This is the first time for Japanese prime minister actively to call for supporting Japan to become the member. This must become the center of other countries' attention.

Next year UN is going to have 60th anniversary since it was built. The number of member nation was 51 first, has increased to 191. But it is becoming an important problem how to deal with "new threat" such as international terror activities, mass destruction weapon. And then some problems in the organization has become obvious. The split among the security council's nations about the attack against Iraq symbolizes that.

The secretary general Mr.Anan has set up "High leve committee" and been struggling with reforming UN for the reason. The committee is going to give a proposal for reforming UN in December to him. In the proposal the expansion of the number of permanent member of security council is likely to be included.

Japan, which has the second biggest power in economy, has been donating about 20% of UN expenditure. This is more than the sum of donations by four permanent members of security council but US. Japan has also been getting results in financila support and PKO. Japan can do appropriate activities for permanent member of security council.

So it is natural for Japan to insist strongly on becoming it. If prime minister Koizumi , on the contrary, doesn't call for support for that, Japan will be regarded as being avoiding the responsibilities that Japan should take in the international society. He has to insist on that boldly.

The problem is that the activity as permanent member of security council will be limited to a degree due to its constitution. If military attack for solving international conflicts is decided in the security council, Japan is not going to be able to participate in it under the present constitution.

But no country can deny the philosophy of Japan's constitution to long for parmanent peace. It should be widely known that Japan has been making great efforts for disarmamen and removing mines. By making utmost efforts within the peace constitution and doing peace diplomacy in UN, the true value of its constitution will be evaluated.

When Japan can demonstrate its ability in establishing peace and preventing recurrence after international conflicts, a new view for peace may be created.

[Bob S.]

Yes, it is a difficult situation for Japan. In one respect, the Security Council is a relic of the Cold War, frozen in time at the end of WWII when its purpose was to prevent global nuclear war and/or the spread of communism. World issues and global politics have changed, but the Security Council that still retains a Eurocentristic bias has not. Reasonably there should be a shift toward Asian countries to reflect the growth in economic and political clout of that region.

The challenge for Japan is that the Security Council by definition deals with issues of security. It can be a bloody business. Does Japan have the political will to step up from its current (less messy)method of Checkbook Diplomacy? Can it do so without scaring its neighbors who get the heebie-jeebies at the idea of an armed Japan once again wielding military power?

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[element105]

Hi you 2,I'am afraid that if the Japan government still deny their crimes and refuse to face their past, they will never become a permanent member of the UNSC and get respects from victim nations of WWII.

Every year,the Japan prime minister publicly prays at the yasukuni shrine where they commemorate the WWII criminals.If the Germans do the same thing to Hitler and deny their massacre,how should you think?So I cannot find any reason that we will trust such a repulsive nation.