HIROSHIMA ANNIVERSARY TIME TO RENEW COMMITMENT TO DISARM – TOP UN OFFICIALS

The 64th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima serves not only as a reminder of the destruction wrought by nuclear weapons but as a time to renew the global commitment to rid the world of this deadly scourge, top United Nations officials said today.

Some say the goal of a world free of nuclear weapons is impossible, and that security can be achieved only by acquiring nuclear weapons, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony held in Japan.

"Yet we are witnessing today a cascade of new and powerful ideas for security through the elimination of nuclear weapons," he said in a message, delivered by UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Sergio Duarte. "All the nuclear-weapon States officially support this goal."

The Secretary-General called on all humanity to support the "sensible and achievable" goal of building a world free from the threat of nuclear weapons. "Let us each do our part in this common journey – and thereby ensure that there will be no more victims such as those we honour today."

Last October Mr. Ban launched a five-point plan to achieve the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world, which contains practical steps the international community can take. More recently, he launched the "WMD-WeMustDisarm" multimedia campaign, kicking off a 100-day countdown to next month's observance of the International Day of Peace, which this year focuses on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.

Also speaking at today's ceremony, General Assembly President Miguel D'Escoto said that 64 years later, the "gruesome reality" of atomic destruction has lost none of its power to inspire grief and terror – and righteous anger.

"We cannot, have not, and will not succeed in eliminating the danger of nuclear weapons being used again, unless and until we have eliminated nuclear weapons from the face of the earth and until we have placed the capacity for making those weapons under reliable and lasting international control," he said.

"I understand that this is a tall order, full of technical and political complexities," he added. "Yet, if we are to keep faith with the victims and survivors of the first nuclear terror, we must resolve, here and now, to take convincing action to begin working toward the explicit goal of complete nuclear disarmament."

The anniversary of the 1945 nuclear attacks on Hiroshima (6 August) and Nagasaki (9 August) was also marked by the UN Conference on Disarmament – the world's sole multilateral forum for disarmament negotiations – which is currently meeting in Geneva.

The President of the Conference, Ambassador Caroline Millar of Australia, drew attention to the fact that today was a sober reminder to all of the destruction and devastation of nuclear weapons and of the compelling importance of the Conference resuming its work on nuclear disarmament.
________________

UN EXPERT CALLS ON JAPAN TO BOOST ACTION IN COMBATING HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Although Japan recognizes the seriousness of the problem of human trafficking within its border, the East Asian nation must take more concrete action to fight the scourge, an independent United Nations human rights expert said today.

"Human trafficking affects every country of the world, and Japan is clearly affected as a destination country for many of those victims," said Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, the Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, wrapping up a six-day visit to the country.

The majority of trafficking is for prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation in Japan, but she pointed out that trafficking for labour exploitation is also cause for great concern.

The country has adopted a National Plan of Action on trafficking. Further, Japan has granted victims special residence permits if they wish to stay in Japan and is also cooperating with sending countries, including Thailand, to support victims' reintegration in their home countries.

But Japan must ratify relevant international treaties; adopt a clearer identification procedure to lessen cases of victims' misidentification; and boost training and coordination of law enforcement officials, Ms. Ngozi Ezeilo said.

She also urged the country to take greater action at the regional level to combat trafficking and consider entering into bilateral agreements with source countries to address the problem on a long-term basis.

________________

Japanese court to hear evidence on whale meat embezzlement

Aomori, Japan, May 15, 2009 -- The Aomori district court today delivered a setback to the Japanese government's attempts to cover up an embezzlement scandal in the so-called "scientific" Southern Ocean whaling programme. The court has agreed to hear key evidence the
prosecution has fought to keep out of the trial of Greenpeace activists Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki.

Sato and Suzuki are being prosecuted, and risk up to ten years in jail if convicted, after they exposed a major corruption scandal surrounding the Japanese government-sponsored Southern Ocean whaling programme. The two removed a box of embezzled whale meat from a mail
depot, and presented it to Japan's Public Prosecutor to prove the existence of corruption in the government-subsidised whaling programme.

The prosecutor had tried to paint the actions of the defendants as a simple case of theft, arguing that all evidence related to the underlying embezzlement scandal should be ruled irrelevant. The court, however, indicated that the evidence of embezzlement will have a place in the trial.

"In this trial, we want to establish that what Junichi and Toru did was to corroborate information provided by whistleblowers regarding embezzlement within the Kyodo Senpaku whaling fleet," said defence lawyer Yuichi Kaido.

"With the prosecutor's opinion being rejected by the court, we have gained a foothold in this case and the opportunity to prove that there was indeed embezzlement of whale meat by employees."

Furthermore, the court also requested the disclosure of additional evidence of embezzlement held by the prosecutor's office that has not yet been made public. This could possibly include key statements made to police by employees of Kyodo Senpaku, the company contracted to
carry out the Southern Ocean whaling programme.

"The government was hoping to bury this scandal by putting the messengers on trial," said Jun Hoshikawa, Greenpeace Japan Executive Director. "However, as more evidence of embezzlement comes to light, at the end of the day it will be whaling that is on trial."

Japan: Speak out for Human Rights

(Tokyo) - The Japanese government, parliament, and bureaucracy should become much stronger proponents for human rights in Asia and worldwide, Human Rights Watch said today at a news conference to open its Tokyo Office.

Human Rights Watch released a letter to Prime Minister Taro Aso, urging the Japanese government to press Burma's military government to free political prisoners, hold free and fair elections, end rampant torture, and stop attacks on ethnic minorities.

"One of our most important tools for defending human rights is our capability to persuade powerful governments to use their leverage on behalf of victims of human rights violations," said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, who is in Tokyo for the opening. "As a major power and one of world's largest aid donors, Japan can play a much stronger role in promoting human rights. We are opening our new Tokyo office to help Japan live up to its potential on human rights."

Human Rights Watch said that Japan has been vocal about human rights abuses in North Korea, but has otherwise been more inclined to use quiet diplomacy.

"For Japan to promote human rights successfully and be taken seriously internationally, it needs to use a mixture of private and public diplomacy," said Roth. "Too often, as with the current crisis in Sri Lanka, Japan's voice is missing when it could be a powerful force to protect people from harm."

Human Rights Watch works in more than 80 countries to expose human rights violations and to urge governments to develop policy to protect and promote human rights. In Asia, it is working to raise awareness worldwide of abuses in countries that include Burma, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, where Japan is the single-largest bilateral aid donor.

"We hope, through our Tokyo office, to contribute in various ways to Japan's more active support for human rights, particularly in Asia," Roth said. "The accurate, detailed, and impartial human rights information collected by Human Rights Watch researchers around the globe can help the Japanese government to shape policy and act in a timely and effective manner to address such abuses."

Human Rights Watch is headquartered in New York and has offices in London, Brussels, Washington, DC, Paris, Johannesburg, Moscow, and many other cities around the world. To maintain its independence and impartiality, it receives no funding from any government.

"The opening of our Tokyo office demonstrates Human Rights Watch's commitment to advancing human rights across Asia, and we welcome the participation of the people of Japan in assisting us in this important effort," Roth said.

Roth said that Human Rights Watch intends to share its research with the Japanese press and people in the hope that this will encourage the government to use its influence to promote human rights. Providing more information about human rights issues in countries that benefit from Japanese largesse will help the Japanese people and government evaluate aid programs, he said.

The opening of the new office will be celebrated at a dinner on April 9 in Tokyo. The hosts for the dinner will be 19 major figures in Japan: Minora Fujita, Glen S. Fukushima, Sakie Fukushima, Nobuyuki Idei, Joichi Ito, Yuko Kawamoto, Aki Kinjo, Kiyoshi Kurokawa, Kathy Matsui, Oki Matsumoto, Krishen Mehta, Makoto Miyazaki, Aiko Okawara, Thierry Porté, Ken Shibusawa, Yu Serizawa, Mamoru Taniya, Kimiya Yamamoto, and Yoshinori Yokoyama.

The guest of honor is Ko Bo Kyi, a former political prisoner in Burma and the co-founder of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners in Burma (AAPPB), who is the winner of the 2008 Human Rights Watch Defender Award.

Japan To Lend $5 Billion For Developing Nations' Green Projects.

Japan said Saturday it will launch a $5 billion lending facility to help Asian and other developing countries improve environmental infrastructure. The program was unveiled by Japanese Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano during a two-day meeting of the G20 finance ministers and central bankers.

The aid covers such projects as solar and wind power generation, energy saving, water supply and sewerage systems, and urban transportation systems.

Japan plans to work together with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank as well as commercial banks in providing the aid.

Japan is also mulling a 'Green New Deal' plan at home that would address environmental problems while helping pull the country out of recession.

Environment Minister Tetsuo Saito is expected to announce a push for wider use of solar panels at schools and government buildings to be included in an economic stimulus package now being drafted.

Fiddling in Rome While Economy Slumps: Japan's Whaling Industry Continues Spending Spree

Despite the worst recession in a generation, Japanese government officials arrive in Rome this week to defend a multi-billion yen whaling programme that is reviled by the international community and unwanted by taxpayers at home.

Japan has been so severely stricken by the financial crisis that last week it was reported that the government was even cutting the cost of making silver sake cups presented to people on their 100th birthday. In February, the government announced a drop in exports of 45% on the same period last year, while key industries are cutting both costs and jobs and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) dropped 3.3% in the last quarter of 2008 - twice the decline of US GDP. Yet, the Government of Japan is stubbornly refusing to consider cancelling the Southern Ocean whaling programme, which costs the taxpayer billions of yen.

"The Japanese government's whaling programme is a scientific sham and an economic disaster," said Greenpeace International Whales Campaigner, Sara Holden. "The future of the International Whaling Commission will be debated this week in Rome; the only viable future is one that protects whale populations, promotes non-lethal research and invests in real conservation of marine life. Japan needs to realise that another year of needlessly killing whales, endangering the pristine Antarctic environment and squandering its taxpayers' money is no basis for negotiation", Holden concluded.

In addition to the 1.2 billion yen annual taxpayer subsidy for the whaling programme, billions more are spent as part of the government's foreign aid budget to recruit countries to the International Whaling Commission. The Institute for Cetacean Research, which devises the so-called research programme, has outstanding loans to the government of 3.2 billion yen.