At The First
Committee of the 68th Session
of the General Assembly
- Thematic Debate:
Nuclear Weapons -
17 October 2013,
New York
Mr. Chairman,
The issue of nuclear weapons remains of great importance
for the people of Japan. Every August,
we reaffirm our strong conviction at the peace memorial ceremonies in Hiroshima
and Nagasaki that the
tragedy caused by the use of nuclear weapons must never be repeated. Japan’s aim is to continue
addressing the necessity and importance to achieve our shared goal of a world
without nuclear weapons to the international community. We will continuously pursue practical and
progressive efforts in the field of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.
With this conviction, Japan will once again submit to the Committee a
draft resolution on nuclear disarmament entitled “United Action Towards the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons”. This resolution, as in previous
years, places emphasis on concrete and practical actions to be taken by the
international community towards the total elimination
of such weapons.
We strongly hope that more states than previous years will extend their
support at this time.
Japan is an
active member of the Non-Proliferation
and Disarmament Initiative (NPDI), which has worked to reduce nuclear risk, maintain political
momentum, and devise practical and action-oriented proposals to advance nuclear
disarmament and non-proliferation. Last
month the NPDI held its seventh meeting with our two newest members, Nigeria
and the Philippines, here in New York where we reviewed our progress and bolstered
our future endeavors.
Mr. Chairman,
In his speech on
nuclear disarmament in Hiroshima last July, Foreign Minister Kishida advocated “three reductions”; (1) reduction of the
number of nuclear weapons, (2) reduction of
the role of nuclear weapons, and (3) reduction of the incentive for development
and possession of the nuclear weapons. On our journey towards a world free of nuclear weapons, reducing
the number of existing nuclear armaments is the first and foremost priority. The 2010 NPT Review Conference’s Action Plan
calls upon the nuclear-weapon states to honor their unequivocal undertaking to
accomplish the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals and to make further
efforts to reduce these weapons. Japan values
the steady implementation of the New START Treaty and welcomes the
proposal from the US President Barak Obama on the 19th
of June in Berlin to negotiate further reductions of nuclear weapons. Progressive disarmament
efforts by the two states with the largest nuclear arsenals will increase
momentum to begin global nuclear disarmament efforts. Japan urges all nuclear-weapon states to make
disarmament efforts in good faith on a multilateral basis as required by
Article VI of the NPT. In this regard, Japan
is encouraged by ongoing discussions by the five nuclear-weapon states on their
nuclear disarmament commitments. We look
forward to positive and concrete results from their efforts.
Japan
places great emphasis on the importance of not only reduction of
the number of nuclear weapons, but also qualitative disarmament
measures. As stated in the 2010
Action Plan, the nuclear-weapon states are called upon to promptly engage to further
diminish the role and significance of nuclear arsenals. It is a common understanding that the
catastrophic humanitarian consequences caused by nuclear weapons must never happen again. In order to promote nuclear disarmament, the
role of nuclear weapons should be reduced in all military and security
concepts, doctrines and policies.
While
implementing such nuclear disarmament measures, applying the principles of
transparency is essential. Transparency
is central for mutual trust and it is a foundation for a stable global security
environment. Two years ago the NPDI developed a draft reporting form guided by Action
21 of the NPT Action Plan, which we shared with the nuclear-weapon states and
also submitted to the 2012 NPT Preparatory Committee meeting annexed to our
working paper on transparency. Japan holds
a high expectation that the NPDI’s input contributes to an agreement from the
nuclear-weapon states to establish a high standard reporting form, which includes
appropriate reporting intervals.
Pending the completion
by the nuclear-weapon states of their disarmament obligations, the non-state parties
of the NPT should not remain inactive. Japan urges those states to accede to the NPT
as a non-nuclear weapon state in a prompt manner without conditions.
Mr. Chairman,
It is extremely regrettable that the Conference on Disarmament
(CD), as a sole multilateral disarmament negotiation forum, has not made progress since 1996 on
nuclear disarmament negotiations with the conclusion of the Comprehensive
Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). Last year the 67th UN General Assembly adopted multiple
resolutions to hold discussions related to disarmament issues under the
auspices of the UN General Assembly.
Based on these resolutions, the Open-Ended Working Group on
taking forward multilateral disarmament negotiations met successfully in Geneva, and
a high-level meeting of the General Assembly on
nuclear disarmament was consequently held in New York on the 26th
of September. Additionally, a group of government
experts (GGE) on an FMCT will commence its work next year in Geneva. These collective movements demonstrate the
international community’s intolerance with the protracted impasse in this
forum. We stress to all the members of
the CD the necessity to overcome the present state of affairs as soon as
possible.
Japan is convinced that an FMCT is an indispensable milestone
towards a world without nuclear weapons. It is thus deeply disappointing that the CD has for many years
failed to start FMCT negotiations despite the wide support from the
international community. We firmly believe a GGE will
provide
a new momentum and help the CD begin its substantive work. In the meantime, Japan urges
all nuclear-weapon states and states possessing nuclear weapons to declare and
maintain a moratorium on the production of fissile materials for nuclear
weapons purposes.
The CTBT is also one of the most important building blocks for nuclear disarmament, and it needs to be brought into force without delay. We are concerned that, seventeen years after
it was opened for signature, the CTBT has not yet entered into force. Japan has seized every occasion to urge all non-states
parties, particularly the remaining eight Annex II states, to promptly
sign and ratify the CTBT, and we intend to pursue with
such actions. Pending the entry into
force of the treaty, it is important for all nuclear-weapon states and states holding
nuclear weapons to respect the moratorium on nuclear test explosions.
In accordance with the 1999 United
Nations Disarmament Commission (UNDC) Guidelines, the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free
zones plays a significant role in global and regional peace and security. In this regard, Japan calls for the earliest
possible convening of a conference on the establishment of a Middle East zone
free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction. We support the facilitator in his efforts to realize
this and call upon all parties in the Middle East to participate in the spirit
of genuine and constructive cooperation. Furthermore, Japan hopes the Protocol of the
Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon Free Zone Treaty come into force at an early
date.
Mr. Chairman,
Maintaining and
promoting nuclear non-proliferation is a necessary condition to further advance
nuclear disarmament. One of the most
effective ways to strengthen the non-proliferation regime is through enhanced
and more effective IAEA safeguards. Japan urges all states that have not yet
concluded and brought into force a Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and the
Additional Protocol to do so as soon as possible.
The DPRK’s on-going nuclear activities,
as well as its missile development programs are of grave concern not only to the
Northeast Asia but to the whole international community, and Japan condemns, in the strongest terms, the nuclear test by the DPRK
on the 12th of February this year in this
context. The nuclear test is a
clear violation of the DPRK’s obligations under the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions as well as of a series of its commitments under the Six-Party
talks. Furthermore,
if the DPRK readjusts and restarts its Yongbyon
nuclear facilities, as it announced in April this year, it will be another
violation of these obligations and commitments. Japan once again hereby
stresses that the DPRK must abandon all nuclear weapons and existing
nuclear programs, including its uranium enrichment, in a
complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner and must immediately suspend all
related activities. Japan strongly urges
the DPRK to take concrete actions towards denuclearisation
and to refrain from any further provocative acts. Additionally, it is also extremely important for Iran to restore international
confidence regarding the peaceful nature of their nuclear programme.
Japan, while taking note of the recent
positive atmosphere concerning Iran’s nuclear issue, urges Iran to take concrete
action in accordance with the resolutions of the IAEA Board of Governors as
well as the UN Security Council.
Mr. Chairman,
Before concluding my intervention; as the only country to have ever suffered atomic bombings, Japan
is a country which understands by its own experience the inhumane consequences
of nuclear weapon use, and thus it is our country’s mission to pass down the
story of the tremendous sufferings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki as historical fact
across borders and generations. For this
purpose, Japan has made various efforts in raising awareness of this issue and
in disarmament and non-proliferation education. Japan believes that the importance of
humanitarian aspects of nuclear weapons should be recognized, irrespective of
various approaches toward nuclear disarmament. Therefore, the discussion on humanitarian
aspects should be open to such various approaches. Furthermore, as Foreign
Minister Kishida stated in his speech in Hiroshima, the
foundation for international nuclear disarmament efforts must be built upon a clear
understanding of humanitarian consequences caused by the use of nuclear
weapons, in addition to recognition of the reality of the increasingly
diversifying nuclear risks.
Regarding the Joint Statement on the humanitarian impact of
nuclear weapons to be delivered during this First Committee, in view of the
catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons, Japan
strongly supports the spirit of the Statement and thus joins it. At the same time, against the backdrop of an
increasingly severe security environment our country is facing, we reaffirm the
necessity to continue to employ an appropriate national security policy.
Japan
is fully committed to achieving a peaceful and secure world free of nuclear
weapons. We intend to continue our
efforts to outline realistic and concrete steps for global
nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, and to steadily
implement them for a common goal shared by humankind.
Thank you.