×

Junior Writers Reporting

Peace Seeds: Teens in Hiroshima Sow Seeds of Peace (Part 48)

Part 48: Learning about the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

Have you heard of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons? On July 7, the treaty was adopted with the support of many nations after negotiations took place at United Nations headquarters in New York.

There are many people in the world who long for the abolition of nuclear weapons because they understand the tragic consequences of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 72 years ago, the suffering that has been experienced by the A-bomb survivors, and the appeals from those who have been affected by nuclear testing. The creation of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, also referred to as the nuclear weapons ban treaty, is the basis for realizing a world without nuclear arms. The junior writers conducted a survey of people with regard to the treaty, asking if they were for or against it, and most came out in favor.

However, the A-bombed nation of Japan, which nevertheless relies on the U.S. nuclear umbrella for its security, has indicated that it will not sign the treaty. Today, September 21, is designated as the International Day of Peace by the United Nations. This day is dedicated to a cessation of hostilities, a day of ceasefire and non-violence around the world. Whether or not human beings can realize a world without nuclear weapons depends on the efforts of us all.

Survey conducted in Peace Park

On August 6 and September 3, the junior writers surveyed people in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, asking whether they were for or against the nuclear weapons ban treaty. The results were 340 in favor, 3 opposed, and 13 unsure. An overwhelming majority expressed support for the treaty.

One woman, an A-bomb survivor, said she favored the treaty and told us, “War must never be waged again.” It was surprising that all of the international visitors we spoke to, including some from the United Kingdom, a nuclear-armed state, said they support the treaty, too. A German man, 63, said, “It’s wrong that the nuclear weapon states, and U.S. allies like Japan, have declared that they won’t sign the treaty.”

Another man, 44, a resident of Nishi Ward, said that he was unsure about the treaty but nevertheless wanted a world without nuclear weapons. He said, “Possessing nuclear weapons has become a way of being a major player in the world. If one nation possesses nuclear weapons, another nation wants to do so, too, and the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world can’t be realized as long as the way to become a major player doesn’t change.”

Main points of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

Preamble mentioning hibakusha
The preamble to the treaty refers to the A-bomb survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with these words: “Mindful of the unacceptable suffering of and harm caused to the victims of the use of nuclear weapons (hibakusha)” and “recognizing the efforts to that end undertaken by...the hibakusha.”

Prohibiting all aspects of nuclear weapons
The treaty prohibits any involvement with nuclear weapons. Along with prohibiting the use of these weapons, it prohibits their development, testing, production, deployment of any kind, the buying and selling of nuclear weapons between nations, and the threat of their use.

Nuclear nations can join the treaty conditionally
The nuclear weapon states can also take part in the treaty. However, they must meet certain conditions, such as declaring that they will eliminate their nuclear arsenal and provide a concrete plan toward this end. An international authority will verify that the weapons have been destroyed.

Nuclear victims are assisted
When the people of a nation that has joined the treaty have been affected by the use of nuclear weapons, the victims are provided with medical care, psychological support, and other assistance, and appropriate measures for addressing damage to the environment are undertaken.

To enter into force, ratification by at least 50 nations is needed
The treaty will enter into force “after the 50th instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession has been deposited.”

Non-nuclear nations and civil society took action to establish the treaty

International treaties that prohibit weapons of mass destruction, including chemical and biological weapons, as well as other inhumane weapons like land mines and cluster bombs, have already been established. However, until the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, there had been no treaty that specifically prohibited these weapons, which are also weapons of mass destruction.

The Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) had been established, but this treaty was designed to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and permits the possession of these weapons by the five recognized nuclear weapon states. In recent years, governments of non-nuclear weapon states and members of civil society became more keenly aware of the great danger and inhumanity of nuclear arms and they raised their voices by saying, “The possession of nuclear weapons, which can kill huge numbers of people, makes the security of our nations less safe.”

The A-bomb survivors, who have long experienced suffering as a result of the atomic bombings, strongly supported this movement. In light of the growing international support for nuclear abolition, and because the nuclear-armed nations themselves were making poor progress on the goal of nuclear disarmament, some nations, including Austria and Mexico, spearheaded the decision to begin negotiations on establishing a treaty to ban nuclear weapons at the U.N. General Assembly in 2016. The talks to create the nuclear weapons ban treaty were then held twice this year, in March and in June-July. In the end, the treaty was adopted with the backing of 122 nations.

Yasuyoshi Komizo, chairperson of the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation, conveyed message of peace at the conference

I took part in the conference to discuss the nuclear weapons ban treaty and spoke as the representative of Mayors for Peace, which totals more than 7,400 member cities around the world.

The treaty was established with exceptional speed. The nations that typically would insist on minor details permitted the process to move forward and the treaty was adopted after the second round of negotiations took place. The appeals made by A-bomb survivors moved the participating nations. The survivors were able to convey their wish by saying, “We want to be the last victims of nuclear weapons. We don’t want anyone else to experience the sort of terrible suffering that we have endured.”

The A-bomb survivors commanded respect because they did not condemn others, but rather, expressed their desire for peace in the world. The fact that two paragraphs in the treaty’s preamble include the word “hibakusha” can be seen as proof that a shared desire for not repeating the destruction caused by nuclear weapons was created by overcoming the differences of nationality.

Up to this point, the mainstream idea of international security has been the concept of nuclear deterrence, whereby possessing nuclear weapons will deter an attack by other countries. But if one nation assumes that another nation is unreliable and seeks to solve a problem by threatening it, this cannot be called peace. Even if our cultures, skin colors, and nationalities are different, it is important to be accepting and open for dialogue with one another so that a process can be put in motion to find common ground.

The nuclear-armed nations that opposed the treaty did not take part in the negotiations, but if they don’t join the treaty, it won’t have legal binding force and will become only a declaration. I proposed adding articles, and monitoring whether a nation is in violation of the treaty, so that the nuclear-armed nations and the nations under the nuclear umbrella could join the treaty in the future.

However, whether or not the treaty will serve as an important starting point for the future depends on the power of civil society, because if we leave everything up to our leaders, it will be impossible to achieve a world without nuclear weapons. Each person should play an active role, like the housewife in Tokyo who began a signature drive to support banning atomic and hydrogen bombs after the incident involving the Daigo Fukuryu Maru (The Lucky Dragon No. 5, a tuna fishing boat) and the children in Hiroshima who made efforts to raise the Children’s Peace Monument so that their friend, who died of radiation-related illness, would not be forgotten.

North Korea has persisted in its nuclear tests and we now face a difficult reality. The nuclear weapon states need to set a good example when it comes to reducing their nuclear arsenals and not relying on them in the long run, but the nations of the world should continue to engage in dialogue with North Korea, even if these attempts fail many times. Such efforts, though they may take a long while, are also valuable in that they could help influence the feelings of others about nuclear weapons.

Junior writers’ suggestions

After the interview, we thought about how we can help realize a world without nuclear weapons by making good use of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. We came up with the following suggestions.

Younger generations in Japan can increase their opportunities to interact with children around the world and build a new world together in collaboration. The children of Hiroshima can also convey the message of the A-bomb survivors.

The Japanese people can communicate the inhumanity of nuclear weapons and encourage the nuclear-armed nations to declare that they will abolish their nuclear arsenals.

Nations should engage frequently in dialogue so that they will not enter into situations where they seek to protect their own interests above all others. We can tell them about the horror and damage that nuclear weapons wreak, and that countries should give up their dependence on nuclear arms. Japan experienced the atomic bombings, and the Japanese government should appeal for nuclear abolition without showing deference to the United States.

If each person speaks out and the voice of civil society grows louder, the Japanese government will change its policy of not signing the nuclear weapons ban treaty.

The rules to join the nuclear weapons ban treaty should be relaxed a little more so that nations can join the treaty more easily.

The Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) should be strengthened, and it is vital to prevent the existence of more nuclear-armed nations. Nuclear disarmament must also gradually take place.

Junior writers’ impressions

Through the interview we did with Mr. Komizo, I learned about the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and deepened my understanding of this issue. He said, “It may take a long time to abolish nuclear weapons, so nuclear abolition should begin now.” His words were impressed me. We shouldn’t say, “It’s impossible because it would take such a long time.” In this way, I felt the strength that can create positive motivation to advance this aim. The theme for this article was so big and global that I found it hard to gather the information and write the piece, but I was able to widen my perspective. (Kana Okino)

From the reactions of the nuclear-armed nations and nations under the nuclear umbrella to the nuclear weapons ban treaty, I felt a sense of distance among these nations toward the abolition of nuclear weapons. This got me thinking that nuclear issues have deep roots and require political judgment as global conditions are changing every day. (Shunichi Kamichoja)

Mr. Komizo said, “The messages from A-bomb survivors touched people’s hearts and moved the world’s nations toward supporting the treaty.” I was impressed by his words. I think the first step to creating a peaceful world, when we’re adults, involves learning about the horrific experiences that occurred during the war, since we don’t know the consequences of nuclear weapons directly. I feel it’s important that the message of the A-bomb survivors is communicated widely so that an increasing number of people become aware of the danger of nuclear weapons and the momentum for global nuclear abolition will grow. (Shiho Fujii)

This interview offered a good opportunity to think about what we should do to help create a peaceful world. Mr. Komizo said that a fault of nations which possess nuclear weapons to guarantee their security is that they fundamentally hold a stereotyped view of having enemies. When I heard his opinion, my feelings about this issue became much more clear. Our goal is not simply to abolish nuclear weapons, but to bring peace to the world. I want to contribute toward this goal by conveying our messages to everyone as a junior writer. (Ai Mizoue)

It was the first time that I really thought about the nuclear weapons ban treaty. I had only known the name of the treaty and didn’t know the contents well. So this interview was very important because it gave me the chance to learn more about the treaty and consider the different points of view on the part of different nations. I want to continue contemplating this difficult issue and forming my own opinions about it. (Kota Ueda)

I wondered why Japan didn’t sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Then I tried to think of concrete ways to help create a world without nuclear weapons, but I couldn’t think of any good ideas. I realized that to create a world without nuclear weapons is actually much more difficult than I had thought. (Ayu Hayashida)

What is Peace Seeds?
Peace Seeds are the seeds of smiles which can be spread around the world by thinking about peace and preciousness of life from various viewpoints. To fill this world with flowering smiles, junior writers, from the first year of junior high school to the third year of senior high school, choose themes, gather information, and write articles.

Hisashi Iwata, 16, Shunichi Kamichoja, 17, Kana Okino, 17, Shiho Fujii, 15, Ai Mizoue, 15, Atsuhito Ito, 14, Kotoori Kawagishi, 15, Kota Ueda, 14, and Ayu Hayashida, 13 contributed this article.

(Originally published on September 21, 2017)

Archives