STATEMENT BY MR. HIROYUKI YAMAMOTO

MINISTER, DELEGATION OF JAPAN

TO THE CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT

THE 1284^TH PLENARY MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT

Effective international arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon States

against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons

GENEVA, 26 MARCH 2013

Mr. President,

Taking this opportunity, I would like to briefly state Japan’s position on today’s topic, negative security assurances (NSA).

Mr. President,

Japan provides its basic support to the concept of NSA. This position remains the same since our signature of the NPT in 1970 when we delivered an official statement underscoring that, “the nuclear-weapon states must not have recourse to use of nuclear weapons or threaten to use such weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states.”

As such, we believe that it is fundamentally important for all states possessing nuclear weapons to diminish the role of nuclear weapons in their national security strategies. We should recognize, in this connection, that negative security assurances can make a significant contribution to reducing the role of nuclear weapons.

Mr. President,

NSAs are in the legitimate interests of non-nuclear-weapon states. Nuclear-weapon states should make their existing NSA pledges credible to the rest of the world and should provide stronger assurances to non-nuclear-weapon states. At the same time, taking into account the ongoing challenges to peace and security of the international community, these assurances should only be given if the recipient state complies with the NPT. In this regard, we commend the strengthened assurances, promised by the United States and the United Kingdom, not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states that are party to the NPT and in compliance with their nuclear non-proliferation obligations.

Mr. President,

We also believe that the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones, where appropriate, is a practical step to promoting and realizing legally binding security assurances. In this connection, Japan strongly hopes that the Protocol of the Southeast Asia Nuclear Free Zone Treaty enters into force at an early date. Nuclear-weapon-free zones have also been established in other regions, such as South Pacific, Africa, and Central Asia. Japan appeals to all the parties concerned to work together constructively in order to bring about the expeditious entry into force of the respective protocols of each zone.

I thank you, Mr. President.