Japan's PM Takaichi Urges Global Rule of Law at UN, Flags Hormuz, North Korea and Russia

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi used her address to the annual United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday to press the case for international rules and order, as conflicts in Europe and the Middle East continue to unsettle global stability.

Speaking in New York, Takaichi said the situation in the Middle East has become increasingly tense, with free and safe navigation under growing pressure in the Strait of Hormuz, which she described as an international public good. Japan, she said, has been working with the international community on diplomatic efforts aimed at an early de-escalation across the region.

She underlined that ensuring free and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz for all vessels, without additional costs as has been the case, is extremely important not only for Middle East security but for the stability of the global economy as a whole. Stability in the Bab el-Mandeb strait is equally essential, she added.

Turning to North Korea, Takaichi said the advancement of Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs, along with malicious cyber activities including cryptocurrency thefts used as a source of funding, are clear violations of relevant Security Council resolutions and pose a serious threat to international peace and security. She called for the full implementation of those resolutions under the principle of complete denuclearization.

On Russia, the Japanese prime minister described Moscow's aggression against Ukraine as the most obvious example of attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion. She noted that a permanent member of the Security Council, which holds a special responsibility for international peace and security, had initiated an act of aggression against another country and had vetoed resolutions concerning its own actions. In the current situation, she said, the Security Council is not functioning for international peace.

Her remarks came as leaders gathered in New York against a markedly different global outlook from a year ago, with two escalating wars, a shifting world order and a global economy in flux. More than four years into the Russia-Ukraine war, diplomatic efforts have yet to produce a breakthrough, while North Korea has expanded its nuclear arsenal and aligned with Russia over the conflict.