Pugwash Conference ends after issuing Nagasaki Declaration calling for legal ban on nuclear weapons
Nov. 16, 2015
by Kyosuke Mizukawa, Staff Writer
On November 5, the 61st Pugwash Conference, an international gathering of scientists and other participants which opened in Nagasaki on November 1, closed after issuing the “Nagasaki Declaration,” which calls for a legal ban on nuclear weapons. Seventy years ago, the city of Nagasaki was devastated by an atomic bomb. The declaration and its slogan, “Let Nagasaki be the last,” urges all nuclear weapon states to commit themselves to eliminating these arms and all non-nuclear weapon states that depend on a “nuclear umbrella,” including Japan, to change their security policies.
At the plenary session held at a hotel on Ioujima Island, eight working groups, including one that focused on “the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons,” shared the results of their discussions. Saideh Lotfian, the chair of the Pugwash Council, from Iran, read out the Nagasaki Declaration, which was approved with applause by the conference participants.
The declaration urges world leaders to consider the sufferings of the hibakusha, or atomic bomb survivors, and “heed their call” for the abolition of nuclear weapons. It also points out that current international frameworks, such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference, have shown limitations, and stresses the significance of “global initiatives aimed at legally banning nuclear weapons” through a coalition of citizens and international organizations.
The declaration offers all non-nuclear weapon states that rely on a nuclear umbrella some guidance for supporting nuclear disarmament and altering their security policies by joining or establishing nuclear-weapon-free zones. In light of the increased stockpiling of plutonium extracted through the nuclear fuel recycling process in Japan and other countries, the declaration calls for the “safe disposal” of all nuclear materials to eliminate the risk of such substances being used to produce nuclear weapons.
In a news conference after the conference concluded, Pugwash president Jayantha Dhanapala, from Sri Lanka, told reporters that the aim of the Pugwash Conferences is to legally ban all nuclear arms and that it is vital that the conference participants take the Nagasaki Declaration, which was created based on the voices of the A-bomb survivors, back with them to their countries and use it to strengthen international public opinion against nuclear weapons through cooperation with their citizens.
It was the first Pugwash Conference hosted by the city of Nagasaki. Nearly 190 representatives from some 40 countries engaged in discussion on advancing nuclear disarmament, among other issues. It has been 10 years, since the conference in Hiroshima in 2005, that the Pugwash gathering took place in Japan and issued a declaration from this nation.
(Originally published on November 6, 2015)
Summary of the Nagasaki Declaration
* “Let Nagasaki be the last.” -- World leaders should heed the voices of the hibakusha.
* All nations with nuclear arms must commit themselves to eliminating nuclear weapons, while non-nuclear-weapon states that depend on extended nuclear deterrence must change their security policies.
* Current disarmament and non-proliferation frameworks have shown limitations. Global initiatives through a coalition of states, civil society, and international organizations are important.
* The nuclear disaster in Fukushima in 2011 reminded us of the importance of containing the risks of nuclear technology. The social responsibility of scientists is of greater importance than ever.
On November 5, the 61st Pugwash Conference, an international gathering of scientists and other participants which opened in Nagasaki on November 1, closed after issuing the “Nagasaki Declaration,” which calls for a legal ban on nuclear weapons. Seventy years ago, the city of Nagasaki was devastated by an atomic bomb. The declaration and its slogan, “Let Nagasaki be the last,” urges all nuclear weapon states to commit themselves to eliminating these arms and all non-nuclear weapon states that depend on a “nuclear umbrella,” including Japan, to change their security policies.
At the plenary session held at a hotel on Ioujima Island, eight working groups, including one that focused on “the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons,” shared the results of their discussions. Saideh Lotfian, the chair of the Pugwash Council, from Iran, read out the Nagasaki Declaration, which was approved with applause by the conference participants.
The declaration urges world leaders to consider the sufferings of the hibakusha, or atomic bomb survivors, and “heed their call” for the abolition of nuclear weapons. It also points out that current international frameworks, such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference, have shown limitations, and stresses the significance of “global initiatives aimed at legally banning nuclear weapons” through a coalition of citizens and international organizations.
The declaration offers all non-nuclear weapon states that rely on a nuclear umbrella some guidance for supporting nuclear disarmament and altering their security policies by joining or establishing nuclear-weapon-free zones. In light of the increased stockpiling of plutonium extracted through the nuclear fuel recycling process in Japan and other countries, the declaration calls for the “safe disposal” of all nuclear materials to eliminate the risk of such substances being used to produce nuclear weapons.
In a news conference after the conference concluded, Pugwash president Jayantha Dhanapala, from Sri Lanka, told reporters that the aim of the Pugwash Conferences is to legally ban all nuclear arms and that it is vital that the conference participants take the Nagasaki Declaration, which was created based on the voices of the A-bomb survivors, back with them to their countries and use it to strengthen international public opinion against nuclear weapons through cooperation with their citizens.
It was the first Pugwash Conference hosted by the city of Nagasaki. Nearly 190 representatives from some 40 countries engaged in discussion on advancing nuclear disarmament, among other issues. It has been 10 years, since the conference in Hiroshima in 2005, that the Pugwash gathering took place in Japan and issued a declaration from this nation.
(Originally published on November 6, 2015)
Summary of the Nagasaki Declaration
* “Let Nagasaki be the last.” -- World leaders should heed the voices of the hibakusha.
* All nations with nuclear arms must commit themselves to eliminating nuclear weapons, while non-nuclear-weapon states that depend on extended nuclear deterrence must change their security policies.
* Current disarmament and non-proliferation frameworks have shown limitations. Global initiatives through a coalition of states, civil society, and international organizations are important.
* The nuclear disaster in Fukushima in 2011 reminded us of the importance of containing the risks of nuclear technology. The social responsibility of scientists is of greater importance than ever.
