Japan-proposed U.N. resolution fails to focus on abolition of nuclear weapons

Japan Press Weekly

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Japan-proposed U.N. resolution fails to focus on abolition of nuclear weapons

Akahata editorial

A U.N. resolution “Renewed Determination toward the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons,” drafted mainly by Japan, and jointly sponsored by 58 countries, was adopted at the U.N. General Assembly Plenary Session on December 2 by 173 vote in favor, 4 against (U.S., India, Israel and North Korea), and 6 abstentions (including China and Pakistan).

The global movement calling for nuclear weapons to be abolished and for nuclear deterrence to be renounced has further increased, as expressed by the majority vote in favor of the resolution drafted by Japan.

The problem is that the Japanese resolution fails to focus on the abolition of nuclear weapons. As the only A-bombed nation, the Japanese attitude is called into question.

Japanese government persists in gradualism

The Japanese resolution called for cuts in nuclear arsenals in line with the statement adopted at Toyako G8 Summit, apparently with the aim of evading criticism that it does not put forward the abolition of nuclear weapons as the main goal. Given the fact that the nuclear weapons states, including the U.S., possess huge amounts of nuclear weapons, it is only natural to call for their reductions. However, the world is calling for their abolition.

How servile it is for the Japanese government to try to put a good face on the issue by calling for “reductions”, a position that is supported by the nuclear weapons states!

A resolution that does not call on the nuclear powers to eliminate their nuclear arsenals will not be able to meet the global demand for the abolition of nuclear weapons.

The recent resolution fails to urge the nuclear weapon states to abandon their nuclear arsenals. While “recalling the Final Document of the 2000 NPT Review Conference,” which promised “an unequivocal undertaking by the nuclear weapons states to accomplish the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals”, the resolution in its main body does not urge the nuclear weapons states to begin fulfilling their promise. Even at this stage, where the resolution was supported by the highest number of votes ever, if it avoids placing the total prohibition of nuclear weapon as the goal, it will still go against the world’s demand to get nuclear weapons abolished.

The Japanese resolution does not call for a treaty totally banning nuclear weapons and effective measures to achieve this, including international talks. This can be taken as an approach to prevent the movement for a total ban on nuclear weapons from intensifying.

This is evident from the fact that Japan in the United Nations abstained from voting on several important resolutions, including the Non-Aligned Movement countries' resolution calling on nuclear powers to immediately stop the improvement, development, production, and storage of nuclear warheads and delivery systems, and the “Follow-up on the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons" resolution sponsored by Malaysia and other countries.

The reason Japan gave for its abstention at the vote on the NAM resolution was that nuclear disarmament should be “more realistic and phased.” In abstaining on the Malaysian resolution, Japan said, “The resolution should establish measures to achieve progress step-by-step.”

It is clear that the Japanese government’s aim is to oppose taking effective measures leading to the abolition of nuclear weapons.

Time to act to get nuclear weapons eliminated

As the U.S. president-elect Barack Obama expressed his wish to see a world without nuclear weapons, the present-day world requires us to push the movement toward abolishing nuclear weapons.

The government of Japan, as the only A-bombed country, is called upon to take the lead in the world effort to achieve a total ban on nuclear weapons. It is indeed a grave mistake for Japan to go against the global call for the abolition of nuclear weapons.

The international situation is changing with regard to the issue of nuclear weapons abolition. It is more and more important for Japan to carry out every diplomatic effort focusing on the complete elimination of nuclear weapons as its goal to meet the call of the world as well as the Japanese people. - Akahata, December 6, 2008