Statement by H.E. Mr. Sumio Tarui
Ambassador, Permanent
Representative of Japan
to the Conference on Disarmament
Second Session of the Preparatory Committee
for the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to
the Treaty
on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)
- General Debate -
Geneva, 28 April 2008
Mr. Chairman,
Distinguished
delegates,
At the outset, on behalf of my delegation,
please allow me to congratulate you, Ambassador Volodymyr
Yel’chenko of Ukraine, on your assumption of the chair
of the second session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2010 Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Review Conference. We assure you of our utmost support in
your endeavors. It was satisfying
for Japan
that last year the 2010 review process got off to a successful start under the
guidance of Chairman Amano. Based
on the outcomes of last year’s first session, we are positive that meaningful
and substantial discussions will also take place under your able leadership,
Ambassador Yel’chenko, within the current Preparatory
Committee.
Mr.
Chairman,
From the viewpoint of the only country to
experience the devastation of nuclear bombings, Japan strongly hopes for
achievement of a safe world free of nuclear weapons on the earliest possible date.
Japan, for improving the security
environment, places immense importance on maintaining and strengthening the NPT,
which is the cornerstone of the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation
regime. Nevertheless, the NPT
regime now faces a variety of serious challenges. Firstly, in relation to nuclear
disarmament, nuclear weapon States have made announcements and presented
initiatives for new
disarmament measures.
As this trend is welcomed as having a positive impact on the current NPT
review process, greater progress on nuclear disarmament including above
mentioned measures by nuclear-weapons states is imperative for maintaining and strengthening
the NPT regime. Secondly, the
nuclear issues of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Iran, which are
of a very grave nature, require the continued efforts of the States Parties as
a high priority. Thirdly, as the anticipated
demand for energy grows, the question of how to balance the needs of the
peaceful uses of nuclear energy and nuclear non-proliferation is an important
issue that the whole international community should also tackle. Lastly, dedicated efforts must continue
in order to improve the universalization of the
NPT. These are extremely grave challenges,
but Japan
is convinced that the NPT regime can be strengthened further by overcoming
them.
With this understanding in mind, Japan hopes
that the mutual understanding of the significance and role of the NPT regime will
be promoted among the States Parties, and that substantial deliberations are
conducted within the current PrepCom on all the
issues just pointed out, based on last year’s agenda. Consequently, we anticipate that it will
be demonstrated to the international community that the NPT fulfils an exceptionally
vital and effective role for international peace and security, and confidence in
the NPT is maintained and improved.
Mr.
Chairman,
It is in this spirit that Japan intends
to take up the following topics within this PrepCom.
Progress in nuclear
disarmament along with nuclear non-proliferation leads to the strengthening of
the NPT regime. The pressing issues with concrete
measures are: (1) the early entry-into-force of the Comprehensive-Nuclear-Test-Ban
Treaty (CTBT) and in the meanwhile a moratorium on nuclear test explosions by
the relevant countries, and (2) the immediate commencement and early conclusion
of negotiations on a fissile material cut-off treaty, and in the meanwhile, a
moratorium on the production of fissile material for nuclear weapon purposes by
the relevant countries. Such legally
binding multilateral measures will consolidate steps for nuclear disarmament. Furthermore, while welcoming the ongoing
progress in nuclear weapons reductions, we would like to emphasize the
importance of all the nuclear-weapon States reducing their arsenals with transparency. Furthermore, we believe it is important
to apply the principles of irreversibility and verifiability to these nuclear
disarmament measures. I will talk
about these issues in detail during Cluster 1, but I would like to draw the
attention of the States Parties to the working paper on nuclear disarmament which
Japan
has submitted to the present session.
Mr.
Chairman,
The nuclear issues of the DPRK and Iran present a
serious challenge to the international non-proliferation regime.
As the DPRK’s October
2006 announcement of a nuclear test demonstrated, the DPRK nuclear issue is a
grave challenge to the NPT regime.
The abandonment of all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs by
the DPRK is not only essential for peace and security of Northeast
Asia, but for the entire international community. Japan will continue its work to
resolve peacefully and diplomatically the DPRK nuclear issue through the
Six-Party Talks. We call on the
DPRK to promptly provide a “complete and correct declaration” of all its
nuclear programmes, which they promised to present by
the end of last year as part of the “Second-Phase Actions”. We also call on the DPRK to take steady
actions towards abandoning “all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes” as agreed to in the Joint Statement of the
September 2005 Six-Party Talks. Furthermore, we urge the DPRK to abide promptly
by the obligations stipulated in UN Security Council Resolution 1718. Recently, the US Government issued a
statement on a matter of proliferation concern regarding DPRK’s
assistance to Syria’s
covert nuclear activities. The
international community must remain vigilant to the challenges we face.
Japan regrets that, despite the repeated calls of the international
community, Iran
has not complied with the requirements of the relevant UN Security Council
resolutions, which include the suspension of all enrichment-related and
reprocessing activities, as well as a heavy water-related program. Although there has been a certain amount
of progress in the implementation of the programme of
work for resolving the “outstanding issues” agreed to between Iran and the IAEA Secretariat last August, Iran has further continued and expanded its
enrichment-related activities without re-establishing the confidence that Iran’s nuclear
programs are exclusively peaceful in their nature. This further aggravates the situation. For resolving this issue peacefully and
diplomatically, Japan will tenaciously
urge Iran
to comply with the requirements of the relevant UN resolutions, including UN
Security Council Resolution 1803, which was adopted last month. Moreover, it is important that each
country steadily implements the measures required in these resolutions.
Mr.
Chairman,
Japan believes that universalizing the IAEA
Additional Protocol is the most realistic and effective way to strengthen the
international non-proliferation regime.
We exhort all the States Parties that have yet to conclude an Additional
Protocol to do so expeditiously. Japan believes
it imperative that the peaceful uses of nuclear energy be prompted in a manner
consistent with the highest level of safeguards standards including the IAEA
Additional Protocol. To this end,
we intend to further intensify out-reach activities through cooperation with
the IAEA and other like-minded countries.
Mr.
Chairman,
In recent years, expanding global energy
demand and efforts to prevent global warming have brought about a reexamination
of the role of nuclear energy, and internationally the promotion of the
peaceful use of nuclear energy is gaining momentum.
The use of nuclear power must be
accompanied by commitments to effective implementation of nuclear
non-proliferation/Safeguards, Safety and Security (3Ss). It is even more important for the
international community to reconfirm common understanding that ensuring 3Ss
constitutes an indispensable part of the necessary infrastructure for the
introduction of nuclear power generation. While ensuring 3Ss is primarily the responsibility
of the countries interested in nuclear power programs, international
cooperation in this field is beneficial to support the countries
concerned. The IAEA has undertaken
various important activities for ensuring 3S and Japan intends to continue its
support for the IAEA. In
particular, the international community must tackle the new issue of
strengthening nuclear security to ensure the prevention of the proliferation of
fissile material to non-state-actors such as terrorists. In this regard, Japan is making
efforts to enhance nuclear security through such measures as its contributions
to the IAEA Nuclear Security Fund.
It is Japan’s
intention to carry on such support.
Mr.
Chairman,
The NPT recognizes the right of a State
Party to withdraw in the situation that “extraordinary events, related to the
subject matter of this Treaty, have jeopardized the supreme interests of its
country”. This, however, should not
occur from the perspective of international peace and security. Since there are a range of different
arguments, I will not speak on this subject in detail, but I would like to note
that there is already a stockpile of useful discussions on this topic. Japan has submitted a working paper
on withdrawal, and we hope that further constructive discussions take place at
this Preparatory Committee.
Mr.
Chairman,
Japan believes that gaining a broader recognition
of disarmament and non-proliferation in civil society, including among young
people, is indispensable for progress in this field, and, thus, attaches
importance to disarmament and non-proliferation education. Japan would like to point out the
importance of deepening and spreading recognition of the NPT’s
role, as well as promulgating knowledge and experience on the immense destructive
power of nuclear weapons and their effects on humans and the environment. In this regard, Japan has
submitted a working paper on this subject and will be holding in collaboration
with UNIDIR, a side-event on disarmament and non-proliferation education, with
the cooperation of civil society during this PrepCom.
Mr.
Chairman,
Lastly, allow me to conclude by saying that
the Government of Japan has submitted to this PrepCom
three working papers on the three pillars, a working paper on withdrawal, and a
working paper on disarmament and non-proliferation education. In addition to these efforts, we intend
to participate proactively in the upcoming Cluster debates. It is our strong desire that a solid
foundation is established for the 2010 NPT Review Conference through frank
discussions among the NPT States Parties in the current Preparatory Committee.
I thank you for your attention.