Statement by H.E. Mr. Mari Amano,

Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Japan

to the Conference on Disarmament

at the Second Session of the Preparatory Committee

for the 2015 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty

on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)

-Cluster I: Specific Issues-

Security Assurances-

Geneva, 25 April 2013

Mr. Chairman,

In this session, I would like to focus my statement on security assurances.

Mr. Chairman,

The risks of nuclear weapons are multifold. Accordingly, we need to address those risks from various perspectives. As my delegation has stated during our discussion yesterday under Cluster I, Japan emphasizes the importance of the qualitative reduction of nuclear weapons in parallel with the quantitative reduction. In other words, it is fundamentally important that all states possessing nuclear weapons diminish the role of nuclear weapons in their national security strategies, as indicated in Action 5 of the 2010 Final Document. We should recognize, in this connection, that negative security assurances can make a significant contribution to reducing the role of nuclear weapons.

Mr. Chairman,

NSAs are in the legitimate interests of non-nuclear-weapon states. Japan underscored in its official statement on signing the NPT in 1970 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”. NSAs also provide non-nuclear-weapon states with incentives to remain as a party to the NPT. Therefore, Japan continues to call upon nuclear-weapon states to make their existing NSA pledges credible to the rest of the world and to provide stronger assurances to non-nuclear-weapon states that comply with the NPT. Japan welcomes the Nuclear Posture Review of the United States and the Strategic Defense and Security Review of the United Kingdom in this regard.

Mr. Chairman,

Japan also believes that the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones, where appropriate, is a practical step to promoting and realizing legally binding security assurances. As noted in Action 9 of the 2010 Final Document, all concerned states, which encompass both nuclear-weapon and non-nuclear-weapon states, are encouraged to constructively consult and cooperate to bring about the entry into force of the relevant legally binding protocols of all nuclear-weapon-free zone treaties. Further efforts are needed to ensure effectiveness of those existing treaties.

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 protocol of each zone.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.