The authority and effectiveness of the United Nations will be gravely compromised if it fails to adopt the new Iraq resolution proposed by the United States, Britain and Spain, Japan said Wednesday.
Ambassador Koichi Haraguchi laid out Japan's position on the second day of an open debate at the U.N. Security Council, with 55 countries that are not members of the council and international organizations expressing their views on the Iraqi situation.
Haraguchi reiterated Japan's support for the revised draft of the U.S.-backed resolution and said Iraq needs to realize it is "being pressed to make a decision whether or not to take this final opportunity."
Citing the government mission sent recently to Iraq by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Haraguchi said the Iraqi response was insufficient and Baghdad has not fundamentally changed its attitude.
As in the open debate at the Security Council last month, Japan was in the minority of countries that expressed support for the U.S. position on Iraq.