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Joint recommendations to be submitted to NPT by political, religious leaders

by Jumpei Fujimura, Staff Writer

On April 21, a supra-partisan group of Diet members and a group of religious leaders held a meeting at the Diet Building in Tokyo and wrote joint recommendations in preparation for the Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT). The Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (PNND) Japan, headed by Taro Kono, and the Japanese Committee of the World Conference of Religions for Peace (WCRP Japan) will submit the recommendations to an event to be held in connection with the NPT Review Conference, which will open on April 27 in New York.

The joint recommendations stress that the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombings provides an ideal opportunity to reflect on peace and nuclear abolition. Taking note of the present situation in which a nuclear weapons convention has been the subject of international debate involving the inhumanity of nuclear weapons, these groups pledge to be committed to the advocacy of nuclear abolition through policy recommendations to the international community.

The PNND and the WCRP will hold a special gathering for disarmament at United Nations headquarters on May 8. Lawmakers and religious leaders from the United States, the United Kingdom, Norway, and other countries will take part in the gathering. From Japan, Kenzo Fujisue, an Upper House member, and Gijun Sugitani, supreme advisor of the Tendai Buddhist Denomination and chair of WCRP Japan, will present their joint recommendations as part of Japan’s efforts.

Mr. Sugitani said, “There are many sources of worry such as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s remark on the possible use of nuclear weapons. Religious and political leaders should work together to convey our message.”

(Originally published on April 22, 2015)

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