Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks at the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 22. (Takeshi Iwashita)

EDITORIAL: Takaichi must act now to back her vocal support of the ICC

（社説）法の支配と日本　原則貫く行動問われる

Speaking at the U.N. General Assembly, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi emphasized the rule of law and expressed Japan’s support of the International Criminal Court.

In her meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, she also exchanged views about the ICC.

But Trump continued to ramp up pressure on the ICC, calling on nations to leave the international court in his U.N. speech.

Future actions will determine if the principles of Japanese diplomacy are maintained.

In her speech, Takaichi pledged that Japan would “contribute to maintaining and developing a free and open order based on the rule of law” amid huge wavering in the international order.

She named not only the ICC, but also the International Court of Justice and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and said that Japan had consistently supported such international courts and had sent judges to serve on them.

While she pointed to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as an example of an attempt to change the status quo through force, she did not mention the U.S. attack on Iran.

She also did not specifically touch upon the sanctions imposed by the United States on the ICC that covered President Tomoko Akane.

While that may have been out of consideration for the United States, with the ICC, the last bastion for international justice, now facing superpower pressure, she should have more aggressively spoken about the crisis facing that organization and called upon the international community to support the ICC.

At the same time, Takaichi also made clear her stance of emphasizing the United Nations, saying there was never a time such as now in which it was so important.

That is clearly different from the Trump administration, which has been critical of the United Nations, and has prioritized its own interests and bilateral negotiations over international cooperation.

We hope that she will take the lead in seeking to resolve global issues.

Prior to her U.N. speech, Takaichi met with Trump and the leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation in economic security areas.

The meeting was held two days before Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping and at her news conference, Takaichi said it showed the world the strength of the Japan-U.S. alliance.

She explained that in her meeting with Trump she brought up the ICC and said there was a frank exchange of views.

But no details of what was discussed have emerged.

An evaluation of whether she called for a retraction of the sanctions and lobbied against expanding sanctions will have to await future developments.

While the leaders of the world gathered at the U.N. General Assembly held as a venue for multilateral cooperation, Trump from the rostrum described the ICC as a “rogue institution” and urged member nations to immediately leave it.

There are reports that the United States is preparing additional sanctions as a way of dismantling the ICC.

While cooperating with nations that support the ICC, such as in Europe, Japan must protect the unity of member nations and the functioning of the court.

Having spoken to the international community about the importance of the rule of law, Takaichi now has the responsibility to produce results through specific actions.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Sept. 24

高市早苗首相が国連演説で「法の支配」を重視し、国際刑事裁判所（ＩＣＣ）を支持する日本の立場を示した。トランプ米大統領との首脳会談でも、ＩＣＣをめぐって意見を交わしたという。ただ、トランプ氏が国連演説で加盟国に脱退を呼びかけるなど、ＩＣＣへの圧力は強まるばかりだ。日本外交の原則を貫けるか、今後の行動が問われる。
　首相は演説で、国際秩序が大きく揺らぐなか、日本は「法の支配に基づく、自由で開かれた秩序の維持・発展に貢献する」と誓った。ＩＣＣについては、国際司法裁判所（ＩＣＪ）、国際海洋法裁判所（ＩＴＬＯＳ）とともに名前を挙げ、日本は「国際裁判所を一貫して支持し、判事を輩出している」と述べた。
　力による現状変更の試みの例として、ロシアのウクライナ侵攻を挙げつつ、米国のイラン攻撃には触れなかった。赤根智子所長までも対象にした米国のＩＣＣへの制裁にも言及はなかった。米国への配慮かもしれないが、国際司法の最後の砦（とりで）となるＩＣＣが大国の圧力にさらされるなか、もう少し踏み込んで危機感を訴え、国際社会にＩＣＣ支持を呼び掛けることがあってもよかったのではないか。
　一方で、首相は「今ほど、国連が重要な時代はない」と述べ、国連重視の姿勢を鮮明にした。国際協調より自国の利益や二国間交渉を優先し、国連にも批判的なトランプ政権とは対照的だ。地球規模の課題解決などに率先して取り組んでもらいたい。
　首相は演説に先立って、トランプ氏と首脳会談を行い、経済安全保障分野での協力強化などで一致した。２日後に米中首脳会談を控えたタイミングであり、首相は会見で「日米同盟の強さを世界に示した」と自賛した。
　ＩＣＣについては首相から切り出し、「率直なやりとり」があったというだけで、内容は一切明らかにされていない。制裁の撤回や拡大回避を働き掛けることができたのか。今後の展開で評価するしかない。
　トランプ氏が多国間協調のために各国首脳が集まる国連総会の壇上から、ＩＣＣを「邪悪な集団」と呼んで、加盟国に即時脱退を呼びかけたのは、驚くばかりだ。米国はＩＣＣの「解体」に向け、大規模な追加制裁を準備しているという報道もある。
　欧州をはじめ、ＩＣＣを支持する諸国と連携し、裁判所機能と加盟国の結束を守らねばならない。国際社会に向けて法の支配を訴えた首相には、具体的な取り組みを通じて結果で見せる責務がある。

(2026年9月24日)