JAPAN AND PKO: ONGOING AND PROPOSED ACTIVITIES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 000230 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/29/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV MOPS UN JA SUBJECT: JAPAN AND PKO: ONGOING AND PROPOSED ACTIVITIES REF: TOKYO 216 TOKYO 00000230 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer per 1.4 (b/d) Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) Japan currently has 53 Self Defense Forces and other personnel participating in three UN peacekeeping operations around the world, and contributes election monitors and in-kind assistance as part of its overall peacebuilding strategy. The subject of Japan's role as a "peacebuilding nation" has received prominent attention from Japan's senior leadership recently, with Prime Minister Fukuda pledging assistance to African peacekeeping centers and Foreign Minister Koumura apologetic about Japan's failure to play an international role commensurate with its economic power. With Japan's participation in the UN mission in East Timor (UNMIT) scheduled to run out in February, the Japanese Government is considering renewing its commitment to UNMIT by sending Coast Guard units to assist East Timor's Maritime Police. End Summary. Current Activities -------------- ¶2. (C) Under the 1992 Peace Cooperation Law, Japan currently has 53 Self Defense Forces and police personnel participating in three UN peacekeeping missions, Ambassador Toshiro Ozawa, head of the Cabinet Office's International Peace Cooperation Headquarters, told Embassy Tokyo. The three missions are: -- Golan Heights. Since January 1996, Japan has dispatched a contingent of 45 Ground Self Defense Forces (GSDF) to the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan Heights. Two GSDF staff officers are attached to UNDOF headquarters at Camp Faouar in Syria and support UNDOF public relations and transport operations. Some 43 members of a GSDF transport platoon are stationed at Camp Ziouani and Camp Faouar and provide transport support for UNDOF activities. On January 29, the Japanese Government extended until September 30 Japan's participation in UNDOF. -- East Timor. Since February 2007, two police officers have been attached to the UN Integrated Mission to Timor-Leste (UNMIT),where they have acted as advisors to the Commissioner of the National Police (PNTL). Among their accomplishments was the completion of a police manual in both English and Portuguese. -- Nepal. Since March 2007, six unarmed GSDF personnel from MOD's newly established Central Readiness Force have participated in the UN Political Mission in Nepal's (UNMIN) arms monitoring activities. ¶3. (C) In addition to participation in UN-sponsored peacekeeping operations, Japan considers its contribution to election monitoring and provision of in-kind support to be part of its broader "peacebuilding activities," Ozawa continued. For example, Japan has sent three election monitoring teams to East Timor and will send a monitoring team to Nepal for the April elections. Japan also sent a team to monitor Pakistan's presidential election, but additional plans to dispatch another team are on hold pending the rescheduling of the general election. As for in-kind support, Japan has provided assistance in the form of blankets, tents and other goods to Darfur in the fall of 2007 and to internally displaced persons in Iraq. Future Aspirations -------------- ¶4. (C) Japan's role as a peacebuilding nation has received prominent attention recently from Japan's leadership. For example, on January 26 in Davos, Prime Minister Fukuda described peacebuilding as "one of the three pillars of Japan's policies as a peace-fostering nation," and pledged to extend new cooperation to PKO centers in Africa to enhance TOKYO 00000230 002.2 OF 002 Africa's own peacekeeping capacities. MOFA International Peace Cooperation Director Masahiko Kiya told Embassy Tokyo that Japan would provide indirect assistance (through the UNDP) to the five peacekeeping centers in Africa; funding of approximately $17 million would come from FY 2007's supplemental budget. Possible future funding might be available for peacekeeping centers in Asia, Kiya added. The Cabinet Office's Ozawa was less sanguine about the peacekeeping center funding plan, noting that "not much thought or work has gone into it." ¶5. (C) In a January 24 speech on the subject of peacebuilding, Foreign Minister Koumura was apologetic about Japan's failure to participate in peacekeeping activities commensurate with its economic clout. The FM noted that, although Japan is the second largest contributor to the UN, and "is the second largest financial power in the world, its record in personnel contributions stands in stark contrast to its financial contributions." Ranked 82nd in terms of personnel contributions to PKO, "we cannot deny that our record is less than impressive as compared to those of Italy and France...the same may be said in comparison to China's contributions," Koumura said. The FM subsequently underlined the need for Japan to adopt a General Dispatch Law to allow it to participate more robustly in international peacekeeping activities (reftel). ¶6. (C) The Cabinet Office's Ozawa told Embassy Tokyo that Japan's participation in UNMIT in East Timor is scheduled to run out in February, and that Chief Cabinet Secretary Machimura is "unhappy about this, considering that Japan's reputation already suffered once recently after the pullout from the Indian Ocean (for OEF refueling activities)." As a result, the Japanese Government would like to dispatch personnel from its Coast Guard to UNMIT to assist East Timor's Maritime Police. The UN is reportedly pleased with the possibility of this kind of assistance, and Japan hopes that trilateral coordination with the United States and Australia will help to further flesh out this proposal, Ambassador Ozawa said. SCHIEFFER