JAPAN: DVFM KONO ON UN REFORM

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 000772 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/10/2026 TAGS: PREL UNSC JA SUBJECT: JAPAN: DVFM KONO ON UN REFORM REF: A. GIBBONS-DONOVAN 02-10-2006 E-MAIL ¶B. TOKYO 707 Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Joe Donovan. Reason: 1.4 (b)(d) . ¶1. (C) Deputy Vice Foreign Minister Masaharu Kono told DCM Donovan on February 10 that UNSC reform, specifically trilateral support of Japan's "Option C," was one area on which Japan, India and the United Sates could work together. While India currently is "skeptical" about Japan,s Option C, it is ready to discuss the model in depth, Kono advised. United States involvement in the process would be key, the Deputy Foreign Minister emphasized, because India is "susceptible" to U.S. views. In response to the DCM,s reiteration of continued U.S. support for Japan,s bid for a permanent UN Security Council seat, DVFM Kono stressed that this issue was of the "highest priority" for the Japanese government. Expressing concern that he had been misunderstood or misquoted during his meeting with Deputy National Security Advisor Crouch (ref b),Kono emphasized that he had stressed to Crouch that securing a permanent membership on the Security Council is one of his government's "highest priority policy issues." ¶2. (C) Reminded by the DCM of the importance placed by the United States on other UN reform issues -- the Human Rights Council, the Peacebuilding Commission and management reform (ref a) -- DVFM Kono commented that "there is no misunderstanding between the U.S. and Japan; both should work together" on all these issues. On the Human Rights Council, Japan is flexible about the number of members, he noted. Regarding the Peacebuilding Commission, DVFM Kono had no comment other than saying he hoped Japan could gain membership. On management reform, Kono explained that Ambassador Takase was currently en route to New York (February 10) and that Takase would continue to work with his U.S. counterpart there. Japan, he reminded, had taken the initiative to propose a number of management reforms and would continue to work closely with the United States. Kono stressed that Japan would like to "synchronize" these broader UN reforms with Security Council reform. UN reform would "not be complete" without Security Council reform, DVFM Kono stated. He hoped the United States and Japan could come up with "something positive" on UNSC reform on which to work together. ¶3. (C) Separately, Kono expressed surprise when told by the DCM that the United States is not looking at a June/July timeframe for deciding SYG Annan's successor, saying that was not what he had understood from Ambassador Bolton. SCHIEFFER