World calls for starting international negotiations for the abolition of nuclear weapons: Shii at press conference

Japan Press Weekly

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

World calls for starting international negotiations for the abolition of nuclear weapons: Shii at press conference

The Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on May 5 held a press conference in New York City about the JCP visit to the United States. By then the JCP delegation had been there for six days mainly to attend the 2010 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference.

Shii said that the main purpose of the visit is for the JCP delegation to do their best to make the NPT Review Conference successful by contributing as a political party in the only A-bombed country, and that they achieved that purpose.

Shii told reporters that he met with various representatives and handed over a JCP request which calls for: reaffirming the requirement for “An unequivocal undertaking by the nuclear-weapon States to accomplish the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals,” which was agreed on at the 2000 NPT Review Conference and creating a consensus for commencement of international negotiations for the abolition of nuclear weapons.

With confidence, Shii stated that determination to build a “world without nuclear weapons” and to seize that historic chance is now prevalent throughout the international community. He added that calls for starting international negotiations to eliminate nuclear weapons are also growing in the world, so now is the time for nuclear weapon states to make the decision to commit themselves to achieve these goals.

The JCP Chair also explained that they were welcomed in Vermont, whose Senate and House of Representatives adopted resolutions urging the President to initiate negotiations for a nuclear weapons abolition treaty, saying that he was moved to know that even in the United States movements which share their goal of starting international negotiations for the abolition of nuclear weapons were getting under way based on the demands of people at the grassroots level.

So far Shii met with the President of the 2010 NPT Review Conference, Chair of the 1st committee (Disarmament) of the conference, UN High Representative for Disarmament; government representatives from a nuclear weapon state (Britain), current and previous chair states of the Non-Allied Movement, and the New Agenda Coalition; parliamentarians from North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member states (Germany, the Netherlands).

In addition, Shii took part in conferences and activities hosted by nongovernmental organizations, and exchanged views with them.

- Akahata, May 7, 2010