Discussion on nuclear disarmament begins at NPT Preparatory Committee
May 10, 2012
by Michiko Tanaka, Staff Writer, dispatched from Vienna
On May 3, discussions of different subjects, including nuclear disarmament, were begun in Vienna at meetings of the First Preparatory Committee for the 2015 NPT Review Conference. The Japanese government presented its effort to create a “standard nuclear disarmament reporting form” for the nuclear weapons states to divulge such information as the number of nuclear warheads in their possession as well as the reductions they have made to their arsenals. Japan has since been calling on the nuclear weapon states to make use of this reporting form.
The form was created to encourage the disclosure of information more broadly, including the deployments of nuclear weapons, the means used to transport them, and the volume of production of weapons-grade nuclear fissile material, such as plutonium. Japan hopes to raise the level of transparency involving the possession of nuclear weapons by pressing the nuclear weapons states to disclose more detailed information.
Mari Amano, Japanese Ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, outlined this undertaking and asked the nuclear-weapon states to pursue “sincere efforts for nuclear disarmament.”
The final document adopted at the previous NPT review conference held in 2010 urges the nuclear-weapon states to convey, in 2014, the developments they have undertaken with regard to nuclear disarmament. The reporting form was created by the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative (NPDI), comprised of 10 non-nuclear weapon states, including Japan. NPDI presented the form to such nuclear powers as the United States and China in June 2011.
Whether or not the form will be used is up to each nation. The Foreign Ministry of Japan said that it has received no comments from the nuclear-weapon states regarding the use of the form.
(Originally published on May 5, 2012)
On May 3, discussions of different subjects, including nuclear disarmament, were begun in Vienna at meetings of the First Preparatory Committee for the 2015 NPT Review Conference. The Japanese government presented its effort to create a “standard nuclear disarmament reporting form” for the nuclear weapons states to divulge such information as the number of nuclear warheads in their possession as well as the reductions they have made to their arsenals. Japan has since been calling on the nuclear weapon states to make use of this reporting form.
The form was created to encourage the disclosure of information more broadly, including the deployments of nuclear weapons, the means used to transport them, and the volume of production of weapons-grade nuclear fissile material, such as plutonium. Japan hopes to raise the level of transparency involving the possession of nuclear weapons by pressing the nuclear weapons states to disclose more detailed information.
Mari Amano, Japanese Ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, outlined this undertaking and asked the nuclear-weapon states to pursue “sincere efforts for nuclear disarmament.”
The final document adopted at the previous NPT review conference held in 2010 urges the nuclear-weapon states to convey, in 2014, the developments they have undertaken with regard to nuclear disarmament. The reporting form was created by the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative (NPDI), comprised of 10 non-nuclear weapon states, including Japan. NPDI presented the form to such nuclear powers as the United States and China in June 2011.
Whether or not the form will be used is up to each nation. The Foreign Ministry of Japan said that it has received no comments from the nuclear-weapon states regarding the use of the form.
(Originally published on May 5, 2012)
