[Title] Implementation Guidelines for Japan's Official Security Assistance

The Implementation Guidelines for Japan's Official Security Assistance referred to in the "National Security Strategy (hereinafter referred to as "NSS")" approved by the Cabinet on December 16, 2022, are set forth as follows:

1 Objectives

The international community is facing changes defining an era and Japan is situated in the most severe and complex security environment since the end of World War II. In this context, in order to protect and promote Japan's own national interests, it is indispensable for us to make consistent efforts, not only to strengthen our own capacities and roles, but also to proactively foster a peaceful, stable and highly predictable international environment based on the rule of law, by such measures as enhancing the security and deterrence capabilities of like-minded countries.

Over the years, Japan has devoted itself to diplomatic undertakings and economic assistance to promote peace, stability and prosperity worldwide. Based on the trust and expectations of the international community, accumulated by our experiences and long term efforts, and maintaining our basic philosophy as a peace- loving nation, Japan will establish Official Security Assistance (hereinafter referred to as "OSA"), a cooperation framework to provide equipment and supplies as well as assistance for the development of infrastructure for the benefit of the armed forces and related organizations of the countries. By enhancing their security and deterrence capabilities, OSA aims to deepen our security cooperation with the countries, to create a desirable security environment for Japan, and to contribute to maintaining and strengthening international peace and security.

OSA is one of the measures to reinforce the comprehensive defense architecture set forth in NSS.

2 Policies of Assistance

(1) Recipient

Japan will promote, through OSA, cooperation for the benefit of the armed forces and related organizations of recipient countries where the improvement of security capacities is considered important in terms of creating a desirable security environment for our country.

As OSA will be provided in grant aid, eligible recipient countries are, in principle, developing countries.

(2) Fields

While maintaining our basic philosophy as a peace-loving nation, Japan will provide OSA only in such limited fields not directly relating to any international conflict, and which are significant for the accomplishment of the objectives of OSA. Priorities will be given based on the importance to Japan's national security and international peace and security.

(a) Activities for ensuring peace, stability and security based on the rule of law

Japan attaches vital importance to realizing a free and open international order based on the rule of law and securing regional peace and stability. From this perspective, Japan will provide OSA for enhancing the security and deterrence capabilities of recipient countries so that they will be able to contribute to regional peace, stability and security by themselves (e.g. monitoring and surveillance in territorial waters and airspace, counter-terrorism, counter-piracy).

(b) Humanitarian activities

The needs for humanitarian assistance associated with natural disasters and conflicts have been rapidly growing around the world in recent years. Considering that the armed forces and related organizations of recipient countries play roles in activities for humanitarian purposes, Japan will provide OSA to improve their capacities to implement these humanitarian activities more effectively (e.g. disaster response, search and rescue operations, lifesaving, medical care, capacity enhancement for the transportation of humanitarian relief goods).

(c) International peace cooperation activities

International peace cooperation is highly important to contribute to the maintenance and enhancement of international peace and stability. Considering that the armed forces and related organizations of recipient countries are mainly in charge of international peace cooperation activities, Japan will provide OSA to improve their capacities to implement these activities more effectively (e.g. assistance for the enhancement of capabilities to take part in UN Peacekeeping operations).

3 Implementation Principles

In the implementation of OSA, it will be highly important to give adequate considerations to the appropriateness and transparency of assistance in order to ensure that the above-mentioned objectives and policies are achieved to the maximum extent possible, while maintaining our basic philosophy as a peace- loving nation. From this perspective, OSA will be implemented under the following principles:

(1) Implemented within the framework of the Three principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology and its Implementation Guidelines

Taking into account the general purposes of OSA, which are to strengthen our security cooperation relationship, to foster a desirable security environment for Japan, and to maintain and enhance international peace and security by contributing to the enhancement of the security and deterrence capabilities of the countries, while maintaining our basic philosophy as a peace-loving nation, OSA will be implemented within the framework of the Three principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology and its Implementation Guidelines, regardless of whether the assistance provided through OSA would be categorized as defense equipment and technology or not.

(2) Consideration on the economic and social situations of recipient countries

When deciding on a recipient country of OSA, we will comprehensively consider such factors as the consolidation of democracy, rule of law, protection of basic human rights, and economic and social situations, together with the security needs for Japan and the region as well as our bilateral relations with a recipient country.

(3) Ensure appropriateness and transparency

So as to ensure the appropriateness and the transparency of OSA, OSA will be carried out under the following conditions. An international agreement will be concluded with a recipient country for each programme. It will include the following points:

(a) Appropriate information disclosure

In order to ensure the appropriateness and the transparency of OSA, general information will be disclosed to the public, with the cooperation of recipient countries wherever possible.

(b) Assessment and monitoring of the programme and disclosure of information on its results

So as to ensure the appropriateness, effectiveness and efficiency of OSA, monitoring and evaluation will be carried out in an appropriate manner with the cooperation of the recipient country wherever possible. Its results will be disclosed to the public in an appropriate manner.

(c) Proper management including prohibition of extra-purpose use and transfer to third parties

In addition to ensuring the appropriateness of OSA, and to fully achieve the objectives of OSA, Japan will oblige recipient countries to avoid any extra-purpose use of the provided equipment, supplies, and infrastructure, and not to transfer provided assistance to third parties.

(d) Conformity with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter

So as to achieve the objectives of OSA, while maintaining Japan's basic philosophy as a peace-loving nation, Japan intends to oblige the recipient countries to use equipment and supplies provided and/or infrastructure developed in conformity with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.

4 Implementation Structure

(1) As OSA is one of the measures for the reinforcement of Japan's comprehensive defense architecture, OSA will be implemented in close coordination among related organizations including the National Security Secretariat, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Defense.

(2) In order to make the most use of available resources possessed by the Government of Japan and its related organizations, OSA will be implemented in close coordination with other governmental international cooperation frameworks.

(3) Where appropriate, coordination with the scheme of Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology will be considered, particularly, at the stage of programme formation. In this context, the information on the scheme of OSA will be appropriately explained in depth to Japanese companies as well as the recipient countries.

(Fin)