42nd Session of the Human Rights Council (11 September 2019) 　ITEM 3 Clustered Interactive Dialogue with: -The Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances 　 -The Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, Justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence, Statement by Mr. Masashi NAKAGOME, Minister, The Permanent Mission of Japan in Geneva

42nd Session of the Human Rights Council (11 September 2019)
ITEM 3 Clustered Interactive Dialogue with:
-The Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances
-The Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, Justice,
reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence

Statement by Mr. Masashi NAKAGOME, Minister
The Permanent Mission of Japan in Geneva

Thank you, Mr. Vice President.

　I appreciate the updates by the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances and the Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, Justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence.

　Due to the limited speaking time, I would like to focus on the issue of enforced disappearances.

　It is clear from the report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances that enforced disappearances continue around the world and must be tackled as an important universal human rights issue. Japan will continue to play an active role in resolving the issue of enforced or involuntary disappearance and cooperate with the Working Group, the states concerned, and the rest of the international community.

　The abductions of Japanese citizens by North Korea continues to be an issue that must be urgently resolved. It has been decades since those citizens were abducted. The abductees and their families are aging and we cannot afford to wait any longer. Japan will make every effort to resolve this issue and will continue to cooperate with the Working Group and the international community to that end.

　Mr. Vice President,

　Before closing, my delegation is compelled to respond to the statement by the Republic of Korea, since it referred to the comfort women issue.

　Japan has long been sincerely dealing with this issue. In December 2015, Japan and the Republic of Korea reached an agreement as a result of considerable diplomatic efforts. This agreement confirmed that the comfort women issue was resolved “finally and irreversibly.” It is extremely important that this agreement be steadily implemented.

　I thank you, Mr. Vice President.