September 24, 2026

Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae in her address to the General Debate of the UN General Assembly on September 22 (local time) stated, “Since the end of the Second World War, Japan, as a peace-loving nation, has attached great importance to the rule of law in the settlement of any disputes,” and emphasized “Japan’s consistent support” for the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).

At a press conference after her speech, she said, “The postwar free and open international order, with the UN at its core, is being severely shaken.”

Clearly, it is the Trump administration that is undermining the rule of law and shaking the international order centered on the UN.

In January of this year, the Trump administration kidnapped Venezuelan President Maduro and his wife, taking them to the U.S. In February, together with Israel, the U.S. carried out a preemptive strike on Iran. Furthermore, in July, it launched a campaign to “dismantle” the ICC, which had issued an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu for committing genocide in the Gaza Strip.

The international community has condemned such high-handed actions by the Trump administration. However, PM Takaichi has turned a blind eye to the abduction of the Venezuelan president and his wife as well as the preemptive attack on Iran. In her UN address, she did not even mention U.S. sanctions on the ICC.

If Japan truly champions the “rule of law” and the importance of the UN, it should stop justifying its subservient stance toward the U.S. in the name of “national interest.” Instead, Japan should take a resolute stance and speak up to criticize the U.S. when necessary.

Past related articles:
> PM Takaichi makes no comment on whether she will call for withdrawal of US sanctions against ICC president [August 20, 2026]
> JCP condemns US-Israeli attack on Iran and demands halt [March 1, 2026]
> US under Trump aiming for colonial rule over Venezuela [January 5, 2026]