None Glossary and Links | Japan Ministry of Defense

Glossary and Links

Glossary

22 Guideline

The SDF Law

Stipulates SDF’s responsibilities, organization, activities and authorities of units, and status of SDF members, enacted in 1954.

The International Peace Cooperation Act
(The formal name is The Law Concerning Japan’s Cooperation in the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations and Other Operations.)

Stipulates UN peacekeeping operations, humanitarian international relief operations and international election monitoring activities, enacted in 1992.

The International Disaster Relief Law
(The formal name is The Law Concerning the Dispatch of International Disaster Relief Teams)

Enacted in 1987 and was amended in 1992 so that the SDF can be engaged in international disaster relief operations (PDF:159KB).

Special Measures Law

This type of law is enacted in an emergency situation. For example, Law Concerning Special Measures on Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance in Iraq, the Anti-Terrorism Special Measures Law, and the Replenishment Support Special Measures Law were established.

UN Peacekeeping Operations

The Operations are undertaken by the UN to solve world conflicts(PDF:181KB). Traditionally, the duties include truce supervision and disengagement. Truce supervision is conducted by Peacekeeping Forces (basically consists of forces from contributing countries) and cease-fire observers (basically consists of unarmed military officers). In recent years, in addition to those two missions, the missions of the operations hasve begun to include providing assistance in Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR), Security of Sector Reform (SSR), elections, human rights, the rule of law, the promotion of political processes, the Protection of Civilians (POC) and other fields.

The Law Concerning Special Measures on Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance in Iraq

The law was enacted in 2003 to implement support activities in Iraq after the Iraq War for contributing to smooth reconstruction, expired in July, 2009.

The Anti-terrorism Special Measures Law

To respond to the international effort against terrorism after 9/11, this law was enacted to implement assistant activities. This is now called the former Anti-terrorism Special Measures Law to distinguish from the Replenishment Support Special Measures Law for Maritime Interdiction Operation which was issued .

The Replenishment Support Special Measures Law

As successor to the Anti-terrorism Special Measures Law, this law was enacted in 2008, expired in 2010.

The law was established to conduct maritime replenishment activities in the Indian Ocean to support the counter-terrorism maritime interdiction operations by foreign vessels. To distinguish from the Anti-terrorism Special Measures Law, this law is called the Replenishment Support Special Measures Law or the New Anti-terrorism Special Measures Law.