Comment: Will action follow Hiroshima Declaration?
Nov. 17, 2010
by Yumi Kanazaki, Staff Writer
“The Hiroshima Declaration on the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons,” which was issued on November 14, the final day of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, stresses the inhumanity of the use of nuclear arms and the need for a treaty that will eliminate these weapons. The question remains, however, whether the declaration can continue to play a role in furthering momentum for nuclear abolition and not simply wind up a short-lived statement.
The Hiroshima Declaration reflects the proposal by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who has expressed support for a Nuclear Weapons Convention (NWC), and the final document of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference in May of this year, which referred to the inhumanity of nuclear weapons and the NWC. The Hiroshima Declaration is in line with the intentions of international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that are engaged in efforts for nuclear abolition.
Though U.S. President Barack Obama did not attend the summit, this permitted the declaration to include far-reaching content, unbound by concern over U.S. reaction. The summit’s secretariat in Rome, the main organizer of the event, shared its idea of establishing an “action committee” for the Hiroshima Declaration to foster continuing efforts in the future.
However, Mohamed ElBaradei, former director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as well as representatives of the United Nations, reportedly did not sign the declaration on the grounds that the time for discussions was insufficient and independent conclusions could not be made. There are concerns as to whether the “action committee” will have the ability to take effective action.
Meanwhile, many of the Nobel Peace Prize laureates are not experts on nuclear issues. This fact led to discussions about not only nuclear arms and nuclear proliferation but also conflict, human rights issues, and poverty, problems which lie behind nuclear arms and nuclear proliferation. Human rights issues in China, in connection with Liu Xiaobo, this year’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate who remains confined to a Chinese prison, also became a matter of concern.
Walter Veltroni, co-chair of the summit and the former mayor of Rome, initially showed his intention of including the issue of Mr. Liu and human rights in the summit’s declaration.
However, the Hiroshima Declaration makes no mention of China. According to the summit participants, a draft that touched on China was written, but not made public. Following the conclusion of the summit, Frederik Willem de Klerk, former president of South Africa, explained why, stressing that the theme of the summit was the abolition of nuclear weapons. This outcome was, nevertheless, perplexing.
(Originally published on November 16, 2010)
Related articles
World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates presents honors for peace efforts (Nov. 17, 2010)
Nobel Peace Prize laureates call for abolishing nuclear weapons (Nov. 16, 2010)
“The Hiroshima Declaration on the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons,” which was issued on November 14, the final day of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, stresses the inhumanity of the use of nuclear arms and the need for a treaty that will eliminate these weapons. The question remains, however, whether the declaration can continue to play a role in furthering momentum for nuclear abolition and not simply wind up a short-lived statement.
The Hiroshima Declaration reflects the proposal by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who has expressed support for a Nuclear Weapons Convention (NWC), and the final document of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference in May of this year, which referred to the inhumanity of nuclear weapons and the NWC. The Hiroshima Declaration is in line with the intentions of international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that are engaged in efforts for nuclear abolition.
Though U.S. President Barack Obama did not attend the summit, this permitted the declaration to include far-reaching content, unbound by concern over U.S. reaction. The summit’s secretariat in Rome, the main organizer of the event, shared its idea of establishing an “action committee” for the Hiroshima Declaration to foster continuing efforts in the future.
However, Mohamed ElBaradei, former director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as well as representatives of the United Nations, reportedly did not sign the declaration on the grounds that the time for discussions was insufficient and independent conclusions could not be made. There are concerns as to whether the “action committee” will have the ability to take effective action.
Meanwhile, many of the Nobel Peace Prize laureates are not experts on nuclear issues. This fact led to discussions about not only nuclear arms and nuclear proliferation but also conflict, human rights issues, and poverty, problems which lie behind nuclear arms and nuclear proliferation. Human rights issues in China, in connection with Liu Xiaobo, this year’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate who remains confined to a Chinese prison, also became a matter of concern.
Walter Veltroni, co-chair of the summit and the former mayor of Rome, initially showed his intention of including the issue of Mr. Liu and human rights in the summit’s declaration.
However, the Hiroshima Declaration makes no mention of China. According to the summit participants, a draft that touched on China was written, but not made public. Following the conclusion of the summit, Frederik Willem de Klerk, former president of South Africa, explained why, stressing that the theme of the summit was the abolition of nuclear weapons. This outcome was, nevertheless, perplexing.
(Originally published on November 16, 2010)
Related articles
World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates presents honors for peace efforts (Nov. 17, 2010)
Nobel Peace Prize laureates call for abolishing nuclear weapons (Nov. 16, 2010)
