Message from Ambassador

In December 2023, I arrived in Geneva to serve as the Ambassador of the Delegation of Japan to the Conference on Disarmament.
 
The international security environment is increasingly severe, and the international community becomes more and more divided over nuclear disarmament. Therefore, I believe that dialogue, confidence-building, and rule-making in the areas of arms control and disarmament have become even more critical. I would like to contribute to Japan's diplomatic efforts towards a “world without nuclear weapons,” drawing on my experience in nuclear nonproliferation.
 
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is the cornerstone of the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime. I will work towards advancing nuclear disarmament efforts leading up to the next Review Conference in 2026, including the engagement in the Preparatory Committee to be held in Geneva in 2024. I will call upon the international community to take concrete steps towards nuclear disarmament, such as commencing negotiations on a treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons and other nuclear explosive devices (FMCT) and enhancing transparency in nuclear forces, as mentioned in the “Resolution on the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons,” which Japan has submitted annually to the First Committee of the UN General Assembly.
 
As the only country to have ever suffered atomic bombings during war, I will actively work to convey the reality and inhumanity of nuclear weapon use to the international community and future generations, in cooperation with local governments and the younger generations.
 
Conventional weapons such as landmines, small arms and light weapons continue to cause many casualties in wars, civil conflicts, and crimes. Addressing this issue is also urgent from humanitarian and developmental perspectives. As the President of the 22nd Meeting of States Parties to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention in 2025, I will contribute to the realization of a world free of landmines, building upon Japan's many years of experience in international cooperation.
 
I will also actively participate in discussions toward rule-making for lethal autonomous weapon systems (LAWS) and preventing an arms race in outer space, which are particularly urgent issues in light of the rapid development of technology, as well as in discussions of the working group to strengthen and institutionalize the Biological Weapons Convention, so that Japan's position is properly reflected in those areas.