Joint Announcement: Second Japan-U.S. Plenary Meeting

On October 16, 2002 in Tokyo, the Government of Japan and the Government of the United States of America held the second Japan-U.S. GPS plenary meeting to discuss the Global Positioning System (GPS). The meeting was organized to implement ideas originally outlined in the Joint Statement regarding cooperation in the use of the GPS which was issued on September 22, 1998 in New York City by the then heads of the two Governments. The purpose of the meeting was to  study and discuss important matters regarding cooperation in the use of the GPS Standard Positioning Service (SPS). The inaugural meeting was held in Tokyo in February 2001.

During the meeting, the representatives of both Governments examined and discussed various GPS-related matters from the perspective of the current status of the  program as well as where the program may go in the future.

Both Governments reconfirmed principles originally outlined by the said Joint Statement in 1998, especially the principle that the U.S. Government continues to provide the GPS-SPS for peaceful, civil, commercial and scientific use, on a continuous and worldwide basis, and free of direct user fees.

Among many matters discussed in the meeting, Japanese side explained its plan to construct a regional satellite positioning system, by Quasi-Zenith Satellite System, which is complementary and augmentative to GPS. Both Governments decided to establish a technical working group to coordinate technical aspects related to this system and GPS.

Both Governments continue to work closely to promote the use of GPS-SPS as a worldwide positioning, navigation, and timing standard; to facilitate the  exchange of information on the development of aviation, maritime, and terrestrial GPS augmentation systems; to avoid harmful interference between GPS and  other services; to ensure the effective and appropriate use of spectrum for GPS modernization; and to prevent misuse of GPS and its augmentation.