Government must call for effective measures for nuclear weapons abolition

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Government must call for effective measures for nuclear weapons abolition
Akahata editorial (excerpts)

The United Nations General Assembly in December adopted a resolution entitled, "Renewed determination towards the total elimination of nuclear weapons" of which Japan was the leading sponsor.

However, this resolution stopped short of squarely urging nuclear weapon states to abolish their nuclear weapons, and thus fails to respond to the call for the abolition of nuclear weapons.

In the NPT Review Conference in May 2000, nuclear weapons states agreed to the "unequivocal undertaking" to accomplish the total elimination of nuclear weapons. Since the NPT Review Conference last year did not reach a new agreement, this agreement continues to stand as the internationally recognized starting-point in the effort aiming at the total elimination of nuclear weapons.

Nevertheless, the recent U.N. resolution took a major step backward from previous resolutions referring to the "unequivocal undertaking" as "practical steps" that Japan had proposed till 2004. Egypt abstained from voting on this year's resolution on the grounds that it failed to fully reflect the 2000 agreement.

What is more, Japan abstained from voting on resolutions calling for effective measures for the abolition of nuclear weapons. It abstained on a resolution submitted by non-aligned countries that urged nuclear weapon states to fulfill their undertaking to eliminate their nuclear weapons and another one proposed by Malaysia and other nations that called for starting negotiations on a convention totally banning nuclear weapons.

Criticizing the resolution, the Japanese government argues that it is too early to call for such negotiations to get started. This argument reminds us of Japan's notorious call for the "ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons" that is intended to put off the task of abolishing nuclear weapons indefinitely.

The Japanese government refused to take effective measures for the abolition of nuclear weapons because it gives top priority to cooperation in the U.S. nuclear strategy. In an interim report on the U.S. military realignment in Japan made public in October 2005, the government stated that U.S. nuclear deterrence remain "an essential complement to Japan's defense capabilities." It is simply impossible for a government that regards the U.S. nuclear arsenal as essential to call on the nuclear weapons states to eliminate nuclear weapons.

The government must end its abnormal subordination to the U.S. and squarely call for the abolition of nuclear weapons.

In order to take the initiative to call on North Korea to abandon its nuclear program, the government must also firmly stand for the position to eliminate nuclear weapons.
- Akahata, December 27, 2006