Citizens' actions are vital toward implementing Group of Eight's stated goals

Japan Press Weekly

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

Citizens' actions are vital toward implementing Group of Eight's stated goals
Akahata editorial

Following the first day of talks at their summit in L'Aquila, Italy, leaders of the Group of Eight industrialized nations have issued a statement declaring, "We are all committed to seeking a safer world for all and to creating conditions for a world without nuclear weapons."

It is important to note that the G8 Summit, which includes four of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council that are permitted by the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) to possess nuclear weapons, made the commitment to achieving a nuclear weapons free world.

Toward a nuclear weapons free world

This agreement reached at the Summit was made possible by major changes in the situations regarding the nuclear weapons issue. In the United Nations General Assembly of October 2008, only China, among the nuclear powers, supported the draft resolution "Towards a Nuclear Weapon Free World", which was submitted by the New Agenda Coalition. The U.S. and France at the time voted against, and Russia and Great Britain abstained.

The NPT requires nuclear powers to hold negotiations for nuclear disarmament. The U.S. Bush administration voted against a resolution calling on nuclear weapons states to take practical disarmament measures. It was pushing ahead with the nuclear arms buildup and even implemented a preemptive strikes strategy with nuclear weapons.

Speaking in Prague on April 5, Obama asserted "America's commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons," thus steering the United States on a different course.

In response to this, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on April 20 in Helsinki that the topic of nuclear disarmament had become one of generating 'high hopes'.

As one of three concrete steps toward a "world without nuclear weapons," President Obama referred to launching negotiations on "a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with the Russians." The presidents of the two nations agreed on July 6, just before the G-8 Summit, to establish a new framework to cut strategic nuclear warheads. In addition, disarmament negotiations will start in Geneva toward the conclusion of a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT).

These events represent significant progress. However, these events alone are not enough to achieve "a world without nuclear weapons." To abolish nuclear weapons an initiative that clearly states this goal is essential.

That is why Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo sent a letter to President Obama asking him to "take the initiative for starting international negotiations for the conclusion of an international treaty for the elimination of nuclear weapons."

The task now is to make further efforts to increase the movement and public awareness recognizing the need to call for the start of international negotiations for the total elimination of nuclear weapons.

Progress of actions against global warming

At this G-8 Summit meeting, progress has been made on the prevention of global warming.

In the declaration, the G-8 nations acknowledged scientists' calls for curbing the rise in global temperatures by a range of within two degrees from the pre-industrial level, and said that developed nations as a whole will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent from 1990 levels by 2050.

At the G-8 Summit in Hokkaido in 2008, the developed capitalist nations agreed on a general global goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 50 percent, but they stopped short of declaring their own national goals.

At this year's Summit, the G-8 nations were unable to reach an agreement with emerging economies such as China and India. This underlines difficulties of reaching an international accord on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions after 2013.

Far from taking the lead in the global movement toward the elimination of nuclear weapons and protecting the global environment, the Aso government is taking a negative stance on both fronts. It is the Japanese people's role to force the government, as a summit member state, to implement what the summit has promised.

- Akahata, July 10, 2009