"The World and Japan" Database (Project Leader: TANAKA Akihiko)
Database of Japanese Politics and International Relations
National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS); Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia (IASA), The University of Tokyo

[Title] Video Message by H.E. Mr. IWAYA Takeshi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, for Tokyo International Law Seminar 2025

[Place]
[Date] August 4, 2025
[Source] Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
[Notes]
[Full text]

Good morning, distinguished guests, esteemed participants of the Tokyo International Law Seminar 2025! I am Takeshi Iwaya, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan.

First, I would like to express my gratitude to the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, the Japanese Society of International Law, the Ministry of Justice, the United Nations University, the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO) and the sponsoring law firms.

This seminar would not have been possible without the valuable assistance of these co-organizers and supporters.

Divisions and confrontations within the international community is becoming more severe, and the "rule of law" is confronting significant challenges in various parts of the world. As the world is now being seriously disrupted, we need to seek to co-create solutions to the issues facing us all, by leveraging "diplomacy of dialogue and harmony". In doing so, it is critically important that we firmly protect the international order based on the "rule of law," which has been benefiting all countries.

Japan attaches great importance to the role that international judicial institutions play in the peaceful settlement of disputes and the maintenance of legal order, and has been actively supporting these institutions. Currently, the President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the President of the International Criminal Court (ICC) are both Japanese judges. In June this year, I myself had a chance to meet with the two Presidents. At the meeting, we reaffirmed to continue coordination in order to uphold and strengthen the "rule of law".

In order to firmly anchor the "rule of law" in the whole international community, it is essential to foster human resources and promote exchanges in the field of international law. The Tokyo International Law Seminar was launched to serve as a platform for officials and legal experts from Asia and Africa to deepen their knowledge through engagement with one another as well as with leading experts in these areas. I am delighted and deeply encouraged that this Seminar is being held for the third time this year and has developed into an intellectually vibrant platform providing opportunities for learning and interactions.

I sincerely hope that, through fostering common knowledge and friendly relationships among international lawyers, the Tokyo International Law Seminar will contribute to the realization of peace guided by the "rule of law".

Thank you.