11/08/1998

Mr. Chairman,

Distinguished Ministers,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the Government of Japan, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to the Government of Portugal and all others concerned, whose dedicated efforts have made this, the first World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth a reality.

It is meaningful and timely for the representatives of countries to have this opportunity to discuss issues concerning the youth of the world as they set their sails, bound for the coming 21 st century. It is also important for us to consider at this juncture the significance of the theme set for International Youth Year, "participation, development and peace" in today's world. Moreover, we Japanese people attach added significance to this important conference because it is being held here in Lisbon, Portugal, a nation that has been strdngly connected with Japan for several centuries.

Mr. Chairman,

Young people are the source for vital changes in society. Being fully aware of this fact, I would like to point out the following four important views when addressing so-called youth issues.

First is the independent participation of youth in every field of society. There is no need to quote the Charter of the United Nations for us to clearly recognize the fact that the youth all over the world have the will and the desire to fully participate in their respective society regardless of the stage of development and the socio-economic situation of the country they are in.

We should aim at establishment of peace, elimination of discrimination and eradication of poverty, which are the major prerequisites for the participation of youth. It is also our task, therefore, to tackle with all our might issues such as education, employment, health and drug abuse, which are identified as the priority areas in the World Programme of

Action for Youth.

In addressing these issues, I think that each country should recognize the significance and effects of the active participation of the youth themselves in the process of solving their own problems, while giving close attention and responding to the needs of young women and youth with disabilities.

It should also be kept in mind that the measures that directly effect the youth will become more effective when closely coordinated with other programs, formulated as the outcome of the series of international conferences on human and social development.

In this regard, I would like to mention that Japan will host the Second Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 11) in Tokyo this October with other co-organizers, including the United Nations

At our conference, with the view that participation of youth is the basic requirement for the development of each country, we expect to have discussions on education, health and medical care and more active participation of women in society.

I wish to take this opportunity to ask for your active cooperation in this conference.

Second is the comprehensive and systematic development of youth-related measures. According to the United Nations, the definition of youth is the group of persons from 15 to 24 years of age. The members of this generation are in the process of becoming adults. As we all are aware, this is an extremely delicate and difficult stage of life from a mental, physical and social point of view.

In my opinion, in order to solve the problems of such a group, it is necessary to select problems from each individual field, and then to systematically address them in a comprehensive manner.

The Government of Japan, having formulated An Outline of the Promotion of the Youth Policy at the Liaison Meeting consisting of almost all Ministries and Agencies, is making efforts to further strengthen the comprehensive and effective implementation of the youth-related measures.

It is of vital importance for each country to develop and enrich its national strategy for the youth with the participation of high-level government members, taking into consideration the "World Programme of Action for Youth" as well as the "Lisbon Declaration on Youth," which will be adopted at this conference. In this respect, Japan hopes that an active exchange of information among countries in the world will be further promoted.

Third is the promotion of mutual understanding and friendship among the youth through international exchange. Today, we live in an international community, where issues such as environment, population and poverty cannot be addressed effectively without a global viewpoint.

In my opinion, both in the past and in today's world, most of the frictions, confrontations and conflicts among countries come from a lack of respect and understanding for one another.

Therefore, I sincerely hope that young people, who will create the world of the future will have respect for each other and deepen mutual understanding and friendship among themselves regardless of their difference in nationality, history, religion, culture or race.

From this point of view, Japan has been promoting international exchange programs for youth such as the "Ship for World Youth Program," in which about 300 young people from 13 countries with the participation of a United Nations staff share activities for two months, both on board the ship and in the countries they visit around the world.

Other examples of such programs include the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme, in which the Government of Japan invites young foreigners to participate in activities such as teaching English language in Japan, and the Global Youth Exchange, in which foreign youth are invited to hold debates and symposia together with the Japanese youth.

Many of the youth who have participated in our programs are now playing an important role in various fields nationally and internationally, making good use of their experiences in these endeavours.

Fourth is the efforts of the general public. In any political or economic system and under any social or cultural situation, problems concerning youth can not be solved by the government alone.

I have heard that many young people and NGOs; from all over the world attended the World Youth Forum, which preceded this Conference, and here also I see many of those ardent people.

It is my belief that when the power of NGOs coincides with the efforts of governments, many problems will be solved more smoothly and quickly.

In Japan, there is an organization on a national scale which consists of youth organizations, educational organizations, mass media, local governments and others, and this organization has been making continuous efforts for more than 30 years to promote the sound development of youth.

Now many organizations including the above-mentioned one are searching for more effective activities with which to cope with the changes in society.

I would like to urge once again that governments should relate various issues of the youth to the situation of the whole society and to tackle them in cooperation with the general public.

Mr. Chairman,

Young people filled with potential are an important human resource for economic development and the key to social change and technical renovation. The success of this conference will play the role of a lighthouse, giving bright light en route to the development of the global community as we move into the 21st century after we overcome the crisis facing us today.

We are gathered here in Portugal, a country which has expanded the sphere and connected the world through the sea for centuries. I would like to propose that we join efforts for the sake of our young people, who are the sailors on the sea of the 21 st century, so that this Conference will be remembered by future generations as a significant beacon of light and hope for the future.

Thank you.