Topic:
Country: Japan
Delegate Name: Hunter Sturm
Country: Japan
Committee: DISEC
Topic: Improvised Explosive Devices
Delegate: Hunter Sturm
School: Williamston High School
Throughout the world, Improvised Explosive Devices (that are more commonly known as IEDs) pose a serious threat. Commonly used by terrorists and those employing unconventional warfare tactics (insurgents, guerrillas, etc), IEDs are the perfect tool. They are often cobbled together, and use everyday materials and homemade items to inflict serious damage on military personnel and civilians. In the past 10 years, there were around 21,000 casualties from IEDs in Afghanistan alone. This issue is not central to Afghanistan alone, with numerous countries struggling from violence and the issues of IEDs and explosive ordnance.
Currently, Japan is helping to mitigate the harmful effects of IEDs throughout the world. In the past decade, they have donated around 19 million USD to help in the efforts to remove landmines in Somalia. As well as helping other countries via donations and science, they also receive help from other countries. In 2011, the NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) and explosive ordnance disposal technicians met with the Japanese Coast Guard. They were taught the basics on IEDs, including what they were and what to do if faced with the threat of one. In terms of actual policy, Japan has a firm belief on the regulation and management of IEDs and other explosive ordnance. They believe in Amended Protocol II (AP II) of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW). As a country they follow and fulfill their obligations under both AP II and the Ottawa Convention.
In the future, further and stricter regulation is what Japan believes in. The removal of IEDs is the first priority, as it involves innocent citizens getting caught in the crossfire. The majority of IEDs impact civilians who are harmed or even killed when they explode. As well as cleaning up the issue, more regulation and control needs to be exerted. Once IEDs have been removed from places where they can harm people, there needs to be laws and regulations preventing more from taking their place. This could take the form of adding stricter restrictions on existing laws, and cracking down on terrorist and extremist groups who are predominantly using them as their weapons.
