Individually Tailored Partnership Programme between NATO and Japan for 2023 – 2026

PART 1 – THE JAPAN - NATO PARTNERSHIP

1. Today, Japan and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) stand together as like-minded partners in an increasingly complex global and regional security environment. Strategic competition, pervasive instability and recurrent shocks define our broader security environment. The threats we face are global and interconnected. The NATO 2022 Strategic Concept highlights the importance of strengthening dialogue and cooperation between NATO and its partners in the Indo-Pacific region. Japan’s new National Security Strategy aims, inter alia, to enhance security cooperation with NATO. In today's international community, fundamental values and principles of international law, such as freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, which have supported peace and prosperity, are facing severe challenges. In this regard, upholding and strengthening the Rules-Based International Order is vitally important for the peace and stability of the world.
    
2. The Euro-Atlantic area is not at peace, as demonstrated with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Indo-Pacific is important for NATO, given that developments in that region can directly affect Euro-Atlantic security. We reaffirm our resolve to uphold and strengthen the free and open international order based on the rule of law. We acknowledge our shared strategic interests in promoting global peace, stability and prosperity, by pursuing a rulesbased international order that promotes the peaceful settlement of disputes through full respect for legal and diplomatic processes.
    
3. Japan and NATO are reliable and natural partners, sharing common values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, as well as strategic interests. We are each determined to safeguard these shared values, as well as the freedom and the security of our populations. We reaffirm our adherence to international law including the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and our commitment to promote the rule of law through observing international law in good faith.
    
4. Japan and NATO are committed to enhancing our political dialogue and practical cooperation to uphold and strengthen the Rules-Based International Order, and tackle shared security challenges. To this end, we will further promote political and defence dialogue to constantly share our views on the international security environment, various threats, challenges, and risks, as well as on developments on Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation. We are also committed to enhancing our cooperation to address global emerging security challenges such as cyber defence, emerging and disruptive technologies, space, maritime security, and climate change.
    
5. This Individually Tailored Partnership Programme will guide our efforts to enhance the Japan - NATO partnership, in areas that are in our shared strategic interests. Our partnership and commitment to cooperation is founded on the commonalities in respective major policy documents of Japan and NATO. Japan shares with NATO a common recognition on the regional and global security environment to tackle cross-regional challenges and shared security interests, while enhancing dialogue and cooperation to defend the international order based on the rule of law. In addition, bilateral cooperation between Japan and NATO will complement NATO’s cooperation through the ‘NATO – Asia- Pacific Partners’ Agenda for Tackling Shared Security Challenges’.
    
6. Japan and NATO will enhance cooperation and realise our outcomes in each Partnership Goal, through activities such as policy consultations, joint training and exercises, personnel development and exchanges, and research cooperation. Japan and NATO are enhancing their cooperation, utilizing existing frameworks for strategic coordination, for the purpose of taking stock of the progress made so far, and for considering potential further activities in line with the agreed ITPP. Japan welcomes the participation of individual Allies in bilateral activities and exercises.
    

PART 2 – STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES FOR COOPERATION

7. The purpose of the ITPP for Japan is to allow for unity of effort, coherence, and more integrated management of the Japan-NATO partnership. The Strategic Objectives for the Japan-NATO ITPP are based on an analysis of the nexus of NATO and Japan’s respective priorities.
    
8. For the ITPP cycle lasting from 2023-2026, three Strategic Objectives have been identified. Japan and NATO will strengthen international peace and stability and jointly contribute to upholding and strengthening the rules-based international order, in order to better respond to a range of security challenges through the following strategic objectives:
   1. Strategic Objective 1: Japan and NATO strengthen dialogue and consultations.
   2. Strategic Objective 2: Japan and NATO promote practical cooperation and enhance interoperability.
   3. Strategic Objective 3: Japan and NATO enhance their individual resilience across the peace –crisis spectrum.
       

PART 3 – PARTNERSHIP GOALS

9. The ITPP Partnership Goals for Japan reflect the Strategic Objectives and developments within the Japan - NATO relationship.
    
10. The ITPP provides the overall framework for practical cooperation within the Japan- NATO partnership.
     
11. Japan and NATO promote dialogue and practical cooperation based on 16 Goals (listed below), categorized in 4 priority issues: EMERGING SECURITY ISSUES; LONGSTANDING SECURITY ISSUES; EXPANSION OF COOPERATIVE ACTIVITIES; PROMOTION OF FUNDAMENTAL VALUES.
     
12. 16 Goals in 4 priority issues are as follows:

1. EMERGING SECURITY ISSUES:
   • On CYBER DEFENCE, Japan and NATO enhance their cooperation in the area of cyber defence.
   • On STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION, Japan and NATO effectively cooperate in the field of strategic communication (STRATCOM), and share best practices on countering hybrid activities, including hostile information, and discuss further possibilities for practical cooperation, including through the effective use of the relevant NATO Centres of Excellence.
   • On EMERGING AND DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES, Japan and NATO effectively cooperate on the current and future challenges and opportunities posed by emerging and disruptive technologies, including by advancing responsible innovation.
   • On SPACE SECURITY, Japan and NATO cooperate on space related aspects of security.
   • On CLIMATE CHANGE AND SECURITY, Japan and NATO effectively cooperate on climate change and security, and promote climate awareness in the security and defence sector.
      
2. LONGSTANDING SECURITY ISSUES:
   • On MARITIME SECURITY, Japan and NATO deepen their maritime security cooperation.
   • On ARMS CONTROL, DISARMAMENT AND NON-PROLIFERATION, Japan and NATO deepen understanding of their respective arms control policies and promote disarmament and non-proliferation efforts, uphold the international order based on the rule of law and strengthen the global arms control architecture.
   • On DIALOGUE AND CONSULTATION, through dialogue and consultation at political and working levels, in appropriate formats, Japan and NATO pursue their shared strategic objectives, promote cooperation in areas of shared interest and develop mutual understanding of shared security challenges.
      
3. EXPANSION OF COOPERATIVE ACTIVITIES:
   • On EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, Japan and NATO cooperate on emergency management and disaster relief and share experiences and awareness of respective capacities related to environmental, human-made or natural disasters and the support to civil emergency response.
   • On SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Japan and NATO effectively cooperate in the area of defence innovation, scientific research and technology development.
   • On PRACTICAL COOPERATION FOR INTEROPERABILITY, Japan and NATO effectively cooperate and enhance interoperability in the security field.
   • On CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT AND INTEROPERABILITY, Japan and NATO effectively cooperate in the areas of capability and interoperability development as well as standardisation.
   • On RESILIENCE AND CIVIL PREPAREDNESS, Japan and NATO strengthen their dialogue and cooperation on resilience and civil preparedness.
   • On PUBLIC DIPLOMACY, Japan and NATO foster awareness and understanding of the Japan-NATO partnership, its values, relevant policies, and activities, including contributing to public discussion and understanding of NATO’s role as a Euro-Atlantic security organisation.
      
4. PROMOTION OF FUNDAMENTAL VALUES:
   • On WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY, consistent with Japan’s National Action Plan (NAP) on United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and NATO’s/EAPC Policy on WPS, Japan and NATO promote actively the WPS agenda.
   • On HUMAN SECURITY, Japan and NATO cooperate on human security.