11 delegates from U.N. and various governments to take part in 2009 World Conference against A & H Bombs

Japan Press Weekly

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11 delegates from U.N. and various governments to take part in 2009 World Conference against A & H Bombs

The World Conference against A and H Bombs (August 3-9, Hiroshima and Nagasaki) will be attended by about 80 international delegates from 28 countries and international organizations, including 11 government representatives from eight countries and two international organizations.

This reflects the increasing calls for "a world without nuclear weapons" throughout the world, even among leaders of nuclear weapons states, raising hopes for positive results to be produced by the NPT Review Conference in 2010.

Following is the list of eleven delegates from the U.N. and national governments announced by the World Conference Organizing Committee on July 21.

Mr Sergio de Queiroz Duarte (United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Affairs)

Ms Alice O'reilly (Second Secretary, Political Section, Embassy of Australia in Japan)

Mr Andres G. Ballester (Charge d'Affaires, Embassy of Cuba in Japan)

Mr Walid Mahmoud Abdelnasser (Ambassador to Japan, Egypt)

Ms Mai Kalil (First Secretary, Embassy of Egypt in Japan)

Mr Abdul-Rahman Humood Al-Otaibi (Ambassador of the State of Kuwait to Japan)

Mr Zainol Abidin Omar (Deputy Secretary General II, Foreign Ministry, Malaysia)

Mr Juan Jose Gomez Camacho (Permanent Representative of Mexico to the

International Organizations in Geneva)

Mr Saul Arana Gastellon (Ambassador to Japan, Nicaragua)

Mr Tor A. Dahlstrom (Charge d'Affaires, Embassy of Norway in Japan)

Mr Mohamed Ezzeldine Abdel-Moneim (Special Advisor on Disarmament and Strategic Affairs, League of Arab States)

The U.N. High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Sergio de Queiroz Duarte, the authority on disarmament issues, will speak at the opening plenary of the 2009 World Conference against A & H Bombs-Nagasaki on August 7.

Duarte, who chaired the 2005 NPT Review Conference that experienced difficulties caused by the U.S. Bush administration's interference, is attaching importance to working in solidarity with the world's anti-nuclear movements in order to make a success of the 2010 NPT Review Conference.

There will be delegates who represent various governments that lead the movement for totally eliminating nuclear weapons in the arena of international politics. They will be from Malaysia, which continuously calls on the U.N. member states to conclude a treaty totally eliminating nuclear weapons; Mexico, which is an influential member of the New Agenda Coalition; and Egypt and Cuba, which are current and former chairs respectively of the Non-Aligned Movement which plays a leading role in the disarmament issue.

A delegate representing the government of Nicaragua, where the left wing Sandinistas successfully regained power, will attend the World Conference for the first time in 25 years.

Norway's participation reflects the increasing movements calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons in NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) countries.

Australia, in cooperation with Japan, established an international committee on disarmament.

From the Middle East, where the call for making the region nuclear-free is increasing,

Kuwait will participate in the World Conference for the first time.

These delegates will attend the International Meeting (Hiroshima August 3-5) and the World Conference-Hiroshima and the World Conference-Nagasaki events.

- Akahata, July 23, 2009