JAPAN REAFFIRMS UNSC GOALS

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 003310 SIPDIS DEPT FOR IO/UNP AND EAP/J E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/02/2018 TAGS: AORC PREL UNGA JA SUBJECT: JAPAN REAFFIRMS UNSC GOALS Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer for Reasons 1.4b, d. ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. Deputy Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Koro Bessho reaffirmed Japan's goal of becoming a permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC). He stated that for its upcoming two-year UNSC rotation, Japan's focus will include Afghanistan, East Timor, African issues, and the UN's Peacekeeping Operations (PKO). Bessho confirmed Japan's interest in cooperating with the United States on UN reform and budget issues. He also expressed interest in exploring closer cooperation in the development area. Bessho will be in Washington on December 8-9 to meet with IO/UNP officials for briefings on the upcoming UNSC session. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) At a lunch hosted by DCM on the occasion of Japan's election as a non-permanent member of the UNSC, Deputy Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Koro Bessho repeated Japan's goal of becoming a permanent member of the Security Council. He stated that Japan is listening to various ideas being proposed for UN Security Council reform, but that "our entrance into the discussion remains the same: that of an expansion of both permanent and non-permanent members." Japan's interests for its upcoming rotation include Afghanistan, East Timor, Africa, and UN Peacekeeping Operations. He agreed that as the two largest donor nations, Japan and the United States shared a common desire for budgetary realism and UN reform. He specifically mentioned that Japan would not be interested in taking a leading role on issues pertaining to Iran, stating that to do so would be "awkward, as we defeated them for this seat on the Council." Likewise, Bessho continued, Japan does not want to chair the DPRK SANCTIONS discussions, preferring to retain a free hand to speak out on this important issue. ¶3. (C) Japan's "Human Security" concept does not mean military or political intervention, but is a development-based approach that focuses on the fundamentals of health care, education, physical security, and infrastructure, Bessho continued. He expressed interest in the possibility of deepening the level of development cooperation between the two countries, with an emphasis on proposals that come from experts actually working in the field. SCHIEFFER