Opinion on Investigation of Secret Agreements by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

• Japanese

January 15, 2010
Japan Federation of Bar Associations

About

The Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA) adopted its Opinion on Investigation of Secret Agreements by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on January 15, 2010, and submitted it on February 1 to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Expert Committee on the so-called Secret Agreements.

 

Main Points

The JFBA requested that the Expert Committee on the so-called Secret Agreements established within the MOFA include the following matters in its investigation report:

 

1. Record-keeping conditions of any administrative documents related to the secret agreements allegedly entered between Japan and the U.S. If the MOFA has disposed of them, when and why it did so.
2. Review of the MOFA’s interpretation and operation of Item 3, Article 5 of the Act on Access to Information Held by Administrative Organs
3. Determination of the reasons behind the MOFA’s failure to comply with Articles 10 and 11 of the Act on Access to Information Held by Administrative Organs and establishment of a system to follow procedures according to these provisions in good faith
4. Establishment of a system to essentially disclose diplomatic documents 30 years after their documentation dates