20 December 1997

Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 22:00:32 +0900
From: Takatomo Fujiwara <cistec14@itjitnet.or.jp>
To: John Young <jy@jya.com>
Subject: Please read what is CISTEC

# Role and Business Activities of CISTEC

## Establishment of CISTEC

CISTEC is the only non-profit making, non-governmental organization in Japan founded in April 1989 to deal with export control matters. CISTEC aims at contributing to maintaining and securing international peace and security. In this direction, CISTEC promotes its objectives to materialize reasonable export controls in harmony with Japan's economic activities, and thereby ensures the harmonious enforcement of laws and regulations based on international treaties.

## Role of CISTEC

1. CISTEC supports Government activities in various types of international export control regimes in terms of technology and information.

2. CISTEC aims at the materialization of Japan's reasonable and effective export control system. To meet such an objective, CISTEC collects opinions and requests from related business circles about the amendment of the export control system and improvement in practical procedures, and makes recommendations to the Government.

## Business Activities of CISTEC

### 1. Activities and Committees

In the committees and sub-committees affiliated with the Executive Research Committee, CISTEC exchanges information on the goods and technologies related to security export controls. CISTEC also collects opinions and requests from related business circles about how the export control system should be, amendment of the system, and improvement in practical procedures, and makes concrete proposals to the Government.

### 2. Study and Research

> a. Collection, research and analysis of basic data and information on goods and technologies

> To maintain and ensure international peace and security as seen from a private sector's viewpoint, CISTEC systematically collects both domestic and overseas information on goods which are involved in weapons of mass destruction, related to conventional weapons, and technologies related to these weapons. By making use of high technology available in the private sector, CISTEC carries out basic research and analysis about the strategic evaluation of goods and technologies concerned, foreign availability, controllability, and production and technological levels. By providing the Government with the results of research and analysis, CISTEC makes efforts to materialize a reasonable international export controls.

> b. Study of domestic and overseas laws on export controls

> In an attempt to promote the harmonization of international export control systems and to support active international activities by the private sector, CISTEC studies both domestic and overseas law systems, their procedures and actual condition of application including interpretation. After conducting such research activities, CISTEC provides the Government and companies with the results of the study.

> c. Study of methods and tools which are useful for efficient export controls

> CISTEC conducts research about administrative methods which will help companies carry out efficient, smooth export controls, clarification of the contents of restrictions, guidelines for voluntary study control of export and practical tools for export controls. And CISTEC provides companies with the results of the study.

### 3. Business for collection and provision of information on end uses/end users for security export controls

CISTEC systematically gathers information on end uses/end users for security export controls which are indispensable for the administration of customers and judgment in confirming end uses of goods. Meanwhile, CISTEC also gathers basic publicized information about the situation related to weapons in the countries of concern. The collected information is compiled in the database called "CHASER" and started the business for provision of information in April 1995.

### 4. Support business for export control work by companies

> a. Technological consultation

> The Export Control Consultation Office of CISTEC deals with concrete consultations about problems resulting from security export controls, giving advice about control status of goods and technologies related laws and regulations at each stage of business, such as export planning, business negotiations, and performance. In addition, CISTEC conducts various types of technological consultation in Osaka and Nagoya by regularly and locally establishing a tentative consultation office.

> b. Compliance program consultation

> CISTEC supports companies prepare themselves for the establishment of export control systems, providing them with CP(Compliance Program) consultation services in the export control consultation office or in a local consultation office. As for small and medium enterprise, CISTEC dispatches experts directly to these enterprises to provide concrete advice on the preparation for compliance programs in the company concerned.

> c. Promotion of business measures required for efficient export controls

> As part of the measures to computerize export control business, CISTEC promotes on-line data processing systems, systematization of data.

> d. Publication of results for the voluntary registration system of control status of items, and implementation of registration system CISTEC implements a publication and registration system for the results of self judgment performed in a responsible manner by the companies whose compliance program systems are firmly established.

### 5. Education and enlightenment business

> a. The holding of explanatory meetings or study meetings

> CISTEC holds explanatory meetings or study meetings, creating opportunities for companies to prepare themselves for the establishment of export control systems, encouraging persons responsible for export controls to improve their ability required in making judgment, and making the importance of export controls widely known. To meet these objectives, CISTEC holds the following meetings:

> - explanatory meeting for amendments of laws and regulations
> - training of persons in charge of export controls
> - explanatory meeting for compliance program
> - international seminar or symposium

> b. Dispatch of lecturers

> CISTEC dispatches lecturers to study meetings held by companies or business circles

### 6. Publication business

> a. Publication of journals

> CISTEC publishes the "CISTEC Journal" and the "CISTEC Express News" to have laws and regulations on export controls fully understood, and thereby provides companies with such information as will serve as a guideline and help them grasp a clear understanding of export controls.

> b. Publication of practical reference books and leaflets

> CISTEC distributes guidance, manuals, parameter sheets covering various items. All these publications, which contain practical information for persons in charge of export controls, are compiled on the basis of laws and regulations, and the result of the study made in the committees, the sub-committees and other study meetings.

### 7. International cooperation and information exchange

> a. International cooperation

> There is a growing importance of nonproliferation oriented export controls and an increasing necessity of international cooperation among nations including those in Asia.

> Given these changes in international climate for export controls, CISTEC has cooperated in holding seminars and study meetings sponsored by the Government to support the preparation of export control systems directed toward these countries. In addition, CISTEC regularly carries out its own supportive activities for other countries in terms of export control law system, inspection system, and voluntary control within companies by Center for International Cooperation on Security Export Controls.

> b. International information exchange on export controls

> Through international exchange with domestic and foreign business circles and research institutions, CISTEC makes efforts for harmonization in international export controls by mutually exchanging views and opinions about issues related to security export controls. Besides, CISTEC exchanges information and materials of the investigation and study it has carried out.

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From: takatomo FUJIWARA, cistec14@itjitnet.or.jp
senior researcher, research department
Center for Information on Security Trade Control
TEL 03-3593-1149 FAX 03 3593-1642

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