JAPAN'S PLANS FOR THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 005309 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/12/2016 TAGS: UNGA UNSC PGOV PREL BM JA SUBJECT: JAPAN'S PLANS FOR THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY REF: TOKYO 05187 Classified By: Political Minister Counselor W. Michael Meserve. Reasons 1.4 (b),and (d). ¶1. (U) Summary. Gaining a permanent UNSC seat remains a top foreign policy objective, according to MOFA UN Policy Division Director Takizaki, and Japan looks forward to receiving a U.S. response shortly to Japan's most recent UNSC reform proposal. Japan's domestic political calendar makes it impossible to say who will represent Japan at UNGA until the last moment. Japan expects a tough fight over UN assessments in the Fifth Committee and seeks U.S. support for Japan's proposal. Takizaki was noncommittal on Japan's choice for next UN Secretary General. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Embassy Tokyo Political Officers met September 13 with MOFA United Nations Policy Division Director Shigeki Takizaki and United Nations Planning and Administration Division Principal Deputy Director Katsumi Moriyasu to discuss a range of UN-related issues. Asked about Japan's plans for the upcoming UNGA session, Takizaki stressed that gaining a permanent seat on the Security Council remains Japan's most important foreign policy goal at the United Nations. During the recent meeting between Under Secretary Burns and Deputy Vice Foreign Minister Kohno, he observed, U/S Burns had suggested that the United States would clarify its position on Japan's UNSC reform proposal within the next two weeks, a development that Takizaki clearly appreciated. ¶3. (C) Regarding Japan's participation in UNGA, Takizaki explained that Deputy Minister Tsuneo Nishida would definitely be in New York for the UNGA meetings, but he was still uncertain who else might participate. Japan's domestic political calendar made it unlike that the Foreign Minister or any other high-level politician would attend. The upcoming LDP presidential election on September 20, followed by the convening of the extraordinary Diet session and the selection of new cabinet make it imperative for prominent politicians to stay in Tokyo. For that reason, it was even too early to say who would give Japan's September 21 speech to the UN General Assembly, Takizaki claimed. ¶4. (C) Having a strong Asian Secretary General was Japan's second most important foreign policy goal for the United Nations this year, Takizaki stated. Asked about Japan's position on the next UN Secretary General, Takizaki was noncommittal, simply stating that his government's central strategy was to support an Asian candidate (as are all the current candidates). Strained relations with South Korea would not necessarily prevent Japan from considering South Korea's candidate. Observing that the UNSC would conduct its second secret "straw poll" on UNSG candidates the following day, Takizaki expressed some displeasure that the results of the first poll -- showing ROK FM Ban Ki-moon with the most positive rating -- had immediately been leaked to the press. The leak had clearly come from "the country that benefited the most from the leak," he opined. ¶5. (C) Turning to the issue of UN assessments, Moriyasu said Japan would fight hard for a reduction in its UN contribution. He acknowledged Chinese and Russian resistance to Japan's proposal on reallocating assessment, noting that the issue was a zero-sum game. He declined to predict the outcome of the upcoming Fifth Committee debate but predicted the arguments would heat up considerably toward the end of the year. Both Takizaki and Moriyasu urged the United States to take a public stand in the Fifth Committee in favor of Japan's proposal; if that was not possible, Moriyasu suggested that a public expression of neutrality was preferable to silence. ¶6. (C) Takizaki reiterated Japan's support for putting Burma on the UNGA agenda (reftel),saying it would send a "strong message" from Japan to the regime. Japan would consider any resolution proposed by the United States on Burma, but was wary of anything including sanctions. SCHIEFFER