Hiroshima mayor urges legal provisions to advance ban on nuclear arms
Jun. 2, 2015
by Michiko Tanaka, Staff Writer
On May 28, in an interview regarding the Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, which ended on May 22 without adopting the final document, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui said, “Many countries now recognize the need to ban nuclear weapons,” and he stressed that the city would continue to support discussions on legal provisions toward this end.
The Review Conference, held at United Nations headquarters in New York every five years, included language in the draft for the final document which recommends that a working group be established to identify measures, including legal provisions, at the U.N. General Assembly in September to fulfill the NPT’s obligations for nuclear disarmament. Referring to this, Mr. Matsui said, “It is important to accelerate this trend,” and added that he would like to help strengthen the call to launch discussions on a nuclear weapons convention.
Regarding the nuclear weapon states, which exacerbated tensions between the nuclear powers and non-nuclear countries when urged by the latter to reduce their nuclear arsenals, Mr. Matsui criticized the nuclear-armed nations for fighting for the sake of self-interest without considering the future of the planet as a whole. He also mentioned the stance of the Japanese government, which clings to the U.S. nuclear umbrella for the nation’s security, saying, “The government seems hesitant to withdraw from the umbrella on the grounds that neither complete nuclear disarmament nor non-proliferation is ensured. However, there is still more it can do to address the desires of the people of Hiroshima.”
(Originally published on May 29, 2015)
On May 28, in an interview regarding the Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, which ended on May 22 without adopting the final document, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui said, “Many countries now recognize the need to ban nuclear weapons,” and he stressed that the city would continue to support discussions on legal provisions toward this end.
The Review Conference, held at United Nations headquarters in New York every five years, included language in the draft for the final document which recommends that a working group be established to identify measures, including legal provisions, at the U.N. General Assembly in September to fulfill the NPT’s obligations for nuclear disarmament. Referring to this, Mr. Matsui said, “It is important to accelerate this trend,” and added that he would like to help strengthen the call to launch discussions on a nuclear weapons convention.
Regarding the nuclear weapon states, which exacerbated tensions between the nuclear powers and non-nuclear countries when urged by the latter to reduce their nuclear arsenals, Mr. Matsui criticized the nuclear-armed nations for fighting for the sake of self-interest without considering the future of the planet as a whole. He also mentioned the stance of the Japanese government, which clings to the U.S. nuclear umbrella for the nation’s security, saying, “The government seems hesitant to withdraw from the umbrella on the grounds that neither complete nuclear disarmament nor non-proliferation is ensured. However, there is still more it can do to address the desires of the people of Hiroshima.”
(Originally published on May 29, 2015)
