Top > What's up around the Prime Minister > September, 2005

Prime Minister Delivers an Address at the United Nations General Assembly Thursday, September 15, 2005 JAPANESE Click photographs to enlarge In the afternoon of September 15 (Japan time: morning of September 16), Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi met with Mr. Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), at the UN headquarters in New York City. During the meeting, Prime Minister Koizumi mentioned the withdrawal of the draft resolution submitted by the Group of Four (G4) including Japan and the Federal Republic of Germany and said, "I believe our efforts to date were worthwhile. Based on the results obtained, we must make further efforts," indicating his determination to continue striving to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council. In response, Secretary-General Annan said, "We have discussed this issue for 12 years. Unless we come to a conclusion by the end of this year, it will mean that the discussions will continue further." He reiterated that this issue should be resolved by the end of this year. Prior to this meeting, Prime Minister Koizumi signed the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, which was adopted at the UN General Assembly in April 2005. Prime Minister Koizumi said, "I would like Japan to vigorously continue taking counterterrorism measures." Prime Minister Koizumi delivered an address at the High-level Plenary Meeting of the 60th Session of the UN General Assembly held in New York City, at which he expressed his resolve to settle the issue of UN Security Council reform at an early date during this General Assembly session. In his address entitled "Turning Words into Action" which was delivered in English, Prime Minister Koizumi stressed, "Japan is convinced that Security Council reform is a just cause for the international community - as is the deletion of the long obsolete 'enemy state' clauses from the UN Charter. In a reformed Council, Japan is ready to play a larger role as a permanent member." Given that this year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the UN, Prime Minister Koizumi underlined, "For the last sixty years, Japan has determinedly pursued a course of development as a peace-loving nation, making a unique and significant contribution to the peace and prosperity of the world." Related link: Address by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi at the High-Level Plenary Meeting of the 60th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations View Video (Available only in Japanese) Real(Narrowband) / Real(Broadband) Windows Media(Narrowband) / Windows Media(Broadband)