STATEMENT BY H.E. MR. MARI AMANO

AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY AND PLENIPOTENTIARY

HEAD OF THE DELEGATION OF JAPAN

TO THE CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT

AT THE FIRST COMMITTEE OF THE 66th SESSION

OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

 

THEMATIC DEBATE: DISARMAMENT AND NON-PROLIFERATION EDUCATION

 

 19 OCTOBER 2011, NEW YORK

 

 

Mr. Chairman,

 

The 2010 NPT Final Document underscored the importance of disarmament and non-proliferation education as a useful and effective means to achieve a world without nuclear weapons. In its Action Plan of the Final Document, the NPT Review Conference also encouraged all states to implement the recommendations contained in the report of Secretary-General of the United Nations (A/57/124) regarding the 2002 UN study on disarmament and non-proliferation education produced by the Governmental Group of Experts, of which Japan was a member. To this end, Japan, has been engaged and will remain engaged in a wide range of efforts to promote education in the area of disarmament.

 

Mr. Chairman,

 

Japan, as the only country to have suffered from atomic bombings, has undertaken the task of passing on the experiences of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as well as the importance of peace to people all over the globe as part of our disarmament education activities. 

 

Last year Japan started a program of appointing Hibakusha, atomic bomb survivors, as “Special Communicators for a world without nuclear weapons”. The main purpose of this program is to share with people around the world, especially the younger generations, the first-hand experiences of the Hibakusha. So far a total of 39 Special Communicators have been involved in 21 events worldwide. In this connection, Japan will hold side events, in cooperation with the UN, during the UN Disarmament Week from 24 to 30 October. The first event, which will take place on Tuesday 25 October, will introduce two Special Communicators and announce the winners of the “Poetry for Peace” contest. The second event, to be held on Wednesday 26 October, will feature presentations by the two Special Communicators, who will deliver their testimonies and engage in discussions with the audience. We invite all Member States and civil society to participate in these events.

 

Japan has also undertaken efforts to make the testimonies of the Hibakusha more widely available. Testimonies have been translated into English and other languages and can be accessed on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. In this regard, we welcome the efforts of the UN Office of Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) in maintaining and updating their website “Disarmament education: resources for learning”. From this September it has become available in all the official UN languages. Moreover, the aforementioned testimonies can also be accessed on this site.

 

Mr. Chairman,

 

Japan is also working closely with the United Nations in the area of disarmament education. First, every year since 1983, Japan has been honoured to host participants of the UN Disarmament Fellowship Programme. 25 fellows, who are with us here during the First Committee, visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki and learned about the realities of the terrible devastation caused by the atomic bombings. Second, every year since 1989, Japan has hosted the UN Conference on Disarmament Issues in a different Japanese city. This year the Conference was held in Matsumoto city in August. Fruitful discussions were conducted among the participants and the conference concluded with great success. Beyond our cooperation with the UN, we will also actively promote disarmament and non-proliferation education with the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative (NPDI) members.

    

Next year marks the 10th anniversary of the Secretary-General’s report on the UN Study on disarmament and non-proliferation education. We call upon all the Member States, relevant international organizations and civil society to renew their commitment to implement the recommendations contained in the report. In this regard, it may be appropriate to review and update the recommendations on this occasion.

 

Mr. Chairman,

 

   Lastly, any disarmament and non-proliferation education program cannot succeed without the involvement of all the relevant actors and every opportunity, big or small, must be seized to complete actions related to these activities. For its part, Japan will continue to cooperate with civil society groups in order to develop concrete measures and to make a positive contribution to the ongoing efforts at the national, regional and international levels for the promotion of disarmament and non-proliferation education.

 

Thank you.