47th Session of the APO Governing Body
14–16 June 2005, Tokyo, Japan
Inaugural Address
by Ichiro Aisawa
Senior Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs
Mr. Chairman, distinguished delegates from APO member countries,
Secretary-General Takenaka, ladies, and gentlemen:
I warmly welcome you all to Japan and to the 47th session of the Governing Body Meeting of the Asian Productivity Organization.
On behalf of the Japanese government, which is hosting this gathering for the first time in six years since the 41st session in the series, we are honored and delighted to have you all here in Tokyo. For myself, it is a great honor and pleasure to be given the opportunity to deliver the opening speech for this distinguished meeting.
This year is a milestone for Japan in that it marks the 50th anniversary of the start of the productivity movement in our country. Over the past half-century of our postwar era, the scale of the Japanese economy has expanded 58-fold, with Japan becoming the world's second-largest economic superpower. The nation also ranks as one of the global leaders in terms of energy efficiency in economic production as a result of creative efforts and technical breakthroughs. The productivity movement in Japan has supported this remarkable economic growth. It also has played an extremely important role in achieving the present state of Japanese society.
In Asia, the APO opened its Secretariat in Tokyo in 1961. Over the following 44 years, the organization has been a major driving force behind the productivity movements in the Asia-Pacific region, serving as a policy think-tank and a training and information center. An overview of the history of APO activities reveals that it has implemented over 5,400 projects, including expert dispatch missions, training courses, seminars, and other programs. In total, about 43,000 persons have participated in its many activities. We are confident that these projects have been instrumental in nurturing valuable human resources in member economies and made vital contributions to improving productivity, thereby supporting the economic development of Asia.
In the midst of the rapid changes now unfolding in the economies of Asia and the world at large, the hopes and expectations for the APO's productivity movement continue to grow. I attended the World Economic Forum's Asia Roundtable held in Singapore in April. I would like to report to you that the world's key figures gathered in Singapore expressed their recognition and expectations for the Asian economy to be a leading force in the world economy and play a leading role in the 21st century. We need to attempt to fulfill those expectations as the world pays more attention to the Asia-Pacific region.
The price of oil has increased recently. I was shocked to read an IAEA report which said that, 30 or 50 years later, the world economy will be depending on oil as much as it does now, contrary to my expectation for new sources of energy and declining dependency on oil. The lesson that this report offers is that we must address the improvement in productivity more ever than before. In light of the enacting of the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions to prevent global warming is one of the concrete issues that we must address.
What can the APO do to transform itself into an even more appealing international organization, competent to deal with these and other pressing issues? In Japan, we look forward to effective approaches by the APO in the following specific areas.
- As the first task that the APO needs to tackle on a priority basis, we must correct the economic disparities that exist between the APO's own member economies. Among the APO membership, there are some members where productivity movements have taken firm root and rapid economic development has been achieved. There are others, however, that are still at the stage of growing their economies. As a result, considerable gaps exist between these two groups. Approaches aimed at narrowing these gaps will help alleviate poverty through the strength of economic growth, and, in doing so, contribute to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.
- As the second priority for the APO, I favor the redoubled promotion of “Green Productivity.” With the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol, the international community is facing demands for new and more potent environmental measures. Toward that end, last year the APO held the Eco-products International Fair in Malaysia, and published the Eco-products Directory 2004 at the same time. We are confident that these activities are areas in which the APO offers comparative superiority in the international community, and will also contribute to improved environmental standards in the Asia-Pacific region and increased Asian exports to the United States and Europe. These efforts are also in keeping with the spirit of the “3 R's Initiative,” referring to “reduce,” “reuse,” and “recycle,” proposed by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi at last year's Group of 8 Summit held in Sea Island, Georgia. In Japan, we hope to see further enhancement of the activities in these fields.
- As the third priority, we must advance studies into the new approach of “outreach activities,” i.e., efforts to expand the experiences compiled in Asia to other parts of the world, and Africa in particular. Prime Minister Koizumi recently addressed the issue of expanding productivity movements to Africa. At the Asian-African summit of 22 April, he noted that Japan gives the highest marks to the productivity movements that have served as the driving force in the development of Asia, and strongly supports the concept of sharing this knowledge with Africa. This statement was most certainly based on considerations of the activities and the contributions made by the APO and the national productivity organizations in Asia over the years. As I think that you will agree, we should not limit the positive experiences compiled in Asia to this region. If we can also convey to Africa the precious experiences and knowledge of our Asian productivity movements, and promote economic growth as a result, I am confident that the APO will earn even greater acclaim in the eyes of the international community.
We sincerely hope that the APO will rise to meet the demands of this age, steadily increasing its significance in Asia, and throughout the global community. The Japanese government pledges to spare no efforts in cooperating to enhance the quality and impact of all APO activities.
Japan highly commends the self-reform efforts independently advanced by the APO since Shigeo Takenaka was named Secretary-General, including the cuts in the Secretariat's own spending and other innovations. I sincerely hope that the APO will achieve further results in this regard.
In his annual report, meanwhile, Secretary-General Takenaka stresses the importance of private-sector participation in APO activities. In this regard, he points out the need to reassess the contents of projects to make them more attractive to the private sector. Japan sincerely welcomes the statement of this perspective, which we view as being vital to the future of the APO.
For Secretary-General Takenaka, this Governing Body Meeting is the first to be held since he was appointed to the post. For his sake as well, therefore, we sincerely hope that this session will generate brisk and constructive exchanges and prove to be a resounding success in laying the foundation for redoubled development and growth of the APO.
Mr. Chairman, in closing, I extend my most profound gratitude and everlasting respect to those who devoted so much time and effort to the planning and holding of this meeting. To everyone who has traveled to be with us from overseas, I sincerely hope that you enjoy your stay in Japan, and that the time you spend here is memorable and fruitful in every possible way.
Thank you very much.
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