国連公開討論会 平和構築へ人的支援の拡充を

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Apr. 19, 2010)

Govt should up physical peace-building support
国連公開討論会　平和構築へ人的支援の拡充を（4月18日付・読売社説）

It is important that the international community provide support without interruption to strife-hit countries until regional conflicts, including civil war, end and peace settles.
　内戦など地域紛争が終結した後も、当事国に平和が定着するまで、国際社会が切れ目なく支援することが重要だ。

Japan should, first and foremost, increase its physical support for peace-building activities, which apparently compares poorly with that offered by other countries, if the government is to call for expanding assistance to conflict-torn countries.
　こうした支援の拡充を日本として呼びかけるなら、まず、他国に比べ見劣りする人的支援を増やすべきだろう。

Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada chaired a U.N. Security Council open meeting on peace-building in New York on Friday.
　岡田外相が訪米し、国連安全保障理事会の公開討論会の議長役を務めた。

Open debates, in which U.N. member countries other than Security Council members can also participate, are held one to three times a month. The Security Council president can select some of the topics to be discussed and Japan, the rotating president this month, chose "postconflict peace-building" as the theme.
　安保理メンバー以外の国連加盟国も参加できる公開討論会は、月に１～３回程度のペースで開かれている。一部討論のテーマは安保理の議長の裁量で設定でき、今月が議長の日本が選んだのは、「紛争後の平和構築」である。

===

Risk of reversion to conflict

Conflict-ravaged countries, including Afghanistan and Somalia, share a common trait in the fragility of their newly established governments, a situation that continues even after an antiterrorism war or civil war comes to an end. As a result, the reconstruction process in such countries is unable to get solidly on track, resulting in a reversion to conflict.
　アフガニスタンやソマリアなどの破綻(はたん)国家に共通するのは、対テロ戦争や内戦がいったん終結しても、その後に樹立した政府の基盤が脆弱(ぜいじゃく)なことだ。この結果、復興プロセスが軌道に乗らず、再び紛争状態に逆戻りしている。

To have peace firmly take root, it is critical that the international community uninterruptedly provide support, including emergency humanitarian assistance in the beginning, followed by peacekeeping operations to restore security and development assistance to reduce poverty.
　平和をしっかりと根づかせるには、初動の緊急人道支援から、治安回復のための平和維持活動（ＰＫＯ）、貧困を減らす開発援助まで、国際社会の支援が途切れないことが肝要となる。

In the open debate, Okada stressed the importance of a comprehensive strategy that organically coordinates each country's support measures, including peacekeeping operations to ensure security. He apparently wants Japan to play a leading role by actively committing to crafting the peace-building strategy.
　岡田外相も討論で、ＰＫＯによる治安確保を含め、各国の支援策を有機的に連携させる「包括的な戦略」の重要性を強調した。戦略づくりに積極的に関与し、この分野で指導的な役割を果たしたいと外相は考えているのだろう。

To this end, Japan needs to further strengthen the physical support it provides for peace-building activities.
　そのためにも、日本は人的支援を一段と強化する必要がある。

Until recently, participation in peacekeeping operations by the Self-Defense Forces was limited to 39 personnel in the Golan Heights in the Middle East and elsewhere. About 350 Ground Self-Defense Force members were urgently dispatched to earthquake-devastated Haiti to engage in a humanitarian reconstruction, but that mission lasts only for six months. Civilians currently dispatched overseas total only 23, and no police officers are included.
　ＰＫＯへの自衛隊の参加は、つい最近まで中東のゴラン高原などへの３９人にとどまっていた。ハイチ地震で陸上自衛隊約３５０人を急派したが、これも当面半年間の措置だ。文民の派遣も現在は２３人で、警察官に至ってはゼロだ。

Other than utilizing the SDF for peacekeeping operations, the government also should discuss measures to boost police officers and civilians to be dispatched for peace-building.
　政府は、ＰＫＯへの自衛隊の活用は無論、警察官や文民の派遣増員策も検討すべきである。

===

Addressing Afghan shortcomings

In particular, Japan significantly lags behind other countries in its assistance to Afghanistan.
　特に他国との差が著しいのが、アフガニスタンへの支援だ。

Forty-four countries, including the United States and European nations, have dispatched nearly 90,000 personnel to join the International Security and Assistance Force, which stands at the forefront of maintaining security in war-torn Afghanistan. Of those countries, 14 also have sent many police officers and civilians to Afghanistan as members of Provincial Reconstruction Teams engaged in activities to rebuild the country.
　欧米など４４か国は、現地で治安維持の最前線に立つ国際治安支援部隊（ＩＳＡＦ）に計９万人近い部隊を派遣している。このうちの１４か国は、復興事業にあたる地方復興チーム（ＰＲＴ）にも警察官や文民を多数派遣している。

The Cabinet of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama in January ended the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Indian Ocean antiterrorism refueling mission, which had enjoyed a highly favorable reputation among the countries concerned.
　鳩山内閣は、各国から高い評価を得ていたインド洋での海上自衛隊の給油活動を終了させた。

Surely, Hatoyama does not think that peace can be built merely by giving other nations money.
　「カネさえ出せば、平和を構築できる」と思っているわけではあるまい。

The government should seriously consider physical assistance measures to serve as an alternative to the discontinued refueling mission.
　政府は、給油活動に代わる人的支援策を真剣に探るべきだ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, April 18, 2010)
（2010年4月18日01時09分 読売新聞）