At The First Committee of the 68th Session
of the General Assembly
- Thematic
Debate: Disarmament and Non-proliferation Education -
30 October 2013, New York
Mr. Chairman,
A world without nuclear
weapons is a common goal for the international community, and thus we must all
share the responsibility to advance global disarmament and non-proliferation
efforts. To this end, it is essential to
raise awareness among the public of the threats posed by nuclear arsenals and the
tragic humanitarian consequences of their use, as well as the way of overcoming
these challenges caused by such weapons.
Such efforts also contribute to securing the disarmament and
non-proliferation regime.
Mr. Chairman,
As a country to have
suffered from atomic bombings, Japan has historic mission to
inform people around the world, particularly future generations, with knowledge of the catastrophic consequences caused by nuclear weapons. In
this regard, Japan started a program called “Special Communicators for a World without
Nuclear Weapons” in 2010. Many of the Special Communicators, who are atomic
bomb survivors (Hibakusha), have been travelling the
world, passing on their first-hand experiences. In view of the fact that average
age of most survivors is over 78 years old, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida launched a new program called “Youth Communicators for a World
without Nuclear Weapons”
in June this year. Under this program, a
younger generation is expected to share what they have learned about the tragic
consequences caused by nuclear weapons and their thoughts about possible steps
to achieve their elimination. We have
high hopes for what they can accomplish through this program. Japan has also undertaken efforts to make the
testimonies of the Hibakusha more widely
available. Testimonies have been
translated into English and other languages can be accessed on the website of
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
As for the professionals,
every year since 1983, Japan has been inviting young diplomats and government
officials to Japan through the UN Disarmament Fellowship Program. Eight hundred and
eleven fellows from various countries have so far traveled to Hiroshima and
Nagasaki. This year 25 fellows visited
both cities to learn about the realities from the use of nuclear weapons. We hope it was an eye-opening
experience for them.
Furthermore, Japan, cooperating with
the UN Secretariat, established a permanent exhibition on the atomic bombings
in New York in 1983 and in Geneva in 2011 in the premises of the UN. These exhibitions have contributed to a
greater public awareness of the consequences caused by nuclear weapons. Japan hopes that many people who visit these
exhibitions will not only learn about the tragedy caused
by nuclear
bombings, but also share the need
for further disarmament and
non-proliferation efforts as
well as call
for an initiative towards a world free
of nuclear
weapons. Unfortunately, the exhibition in New York was
relocated to a smaller space when the current reconstruction of the UN building
started. The number of exhibited
articles is greatly reduced and few people notice the existence of the
exhibition. Japan requests the UN Secretariat
to allocate greater space than before and to further improve the quality of the
exhibition when the reconstruction will be completed next year.
Mr. Chairman,
The
importance of disarmament and non-proliferation education is recognized not only by
Japan, but also the vast majority of the international community. For the first time, the Final Document of the
2010 NPT Review Conference underscored education as a useful and effective
means to achieve a world without nuclear weapons. In its Action Plan, all states are encouraged
to implement the recommendations contained in the report of the
Secretary-General on “The United Nations Study on Disarmament and
Non-Proliferation Education”. In particular,
I would like to draw attention to Recommendation 31 of the report, which
encourages Member States to inform the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs of
steps taken to implement the recommendations.
Unfortunately, according to the 5th biennial report of the
Secretary-General on Disarmament and Non-proliferation Education (A/67/138),
only nine countries, including Japan, submitted the relevant information. This is a disappointing result and should be
improved. We encourage all the Member
States to put into practice the Secretary-General’s
recommendations and report to the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs.
The
Secretary General’s recommendations also call for various educational and
disseminating efforts to be carried out not only by governments, but also
together with non-governmental organizations. In this regard, the Japanese government held
with the UN “The Global Forum on Disarmament and
Non-Proliferation Education” in the city of Nagasaki. The forum brought educators, diplomats, researchers, and
members of civil society to share experiences, compile best practices, and
develop partnerships to advance disarmament and non-proliferation
education. The Forum issued “The 2012 Nagasaki
Declaration”, which expressed the firm
commitment of participants to further
promote efforts in disarmament and non-proliferation education and proposed various measures to be
taken. We will
continue to cooperate and collaborate with civil society in order to develop
concrete measures and to make positive contributions to disarmament and
non-proliferation education.
Mr. Chairman,
I would like to conclude
my statement by stressing that achieving a peaceful and
secure world free of nuclear weapons
cannot be realized without firm support of people worldwide. Believing in the potential of education,
Japan intends to continue to take the lead in this area and calls on all Member
States to join.
Thank you.