I would like to express my deepest respect to all members of the M Project who have worked tirelessly to make the screening of the film “The Pleadge to Megumi” possible here in Warsaw. While this film screening is being held under the honorary patronage of the Japanese Embassy in Poland, I am encouraged to see that private organization is taking the lead in raising awareness about the abduction issue.

The Japanese government has recognized 17 individuals, including the five who returned in 2002, as victims of abduction by North Korean authorities. Additionally, under the recognition that there are individuals whose whereabouts remain unknown and for whom the possibility of abduction by North Korea cannot be ruled out, the government is making every effort to ensure the safety and immediate return of all abduction victims, regardless of whether they have been officially recognized.

The abduction issue by North Korea is a humanitarian issue that cannot be overlooked for even a moment, and its essence is a violation of national sovereignty. With the abductees and their families now reaching an advanced age, there is no time to delay in resolving this issue.

Furthermore, this abduction issue is not limited to Japan. Some of the victims were abducted in places other than Japan.
According to the report submitted by the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in North Korea (COI) to the Human Rights Council in 2014, there are many victims of abductions by North Korea in South Korea, as well as in countries such as Romania, Thailand, and Lebanon. As such, the
abduction issue is a universal problem of the international community that constitutes a violation of basic human rights. At the United Nations, resolutions on the human rights situation in North Korea have been repeatedly adopted by the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly, and at the Security Council, countries have strongly demanded the immediate resolution of the abduction issue, particularly the immediate return of abductees. Please understand that the abduction issue is a problem that we all must work together to resolve in order to
build an international society where basic human rights are protected.

I would like to express my gratitude to all of you in Poland who have taken an interest and attended this event, and I ask for your continued understanding and support for the immediate resolution of the abduction issue. This concludes my remarks.