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ICAN’s Kawasaki reveals in press conference goal of doubling number of TPNW ratifying countries/regions within 3 years

by Yo Kono, Staff Writer

On January 15, before the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) enters into force on January 22, an online press conference was held with Akira Kawasaki. “We hope to double the number of ratifying countries and regions to 100 within three years,” said Mr. Kawasaki, an international steering committee member of the nongovernmental organization International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), which in the past was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Mr. Kawasaki expressed his joy that the treaty will ban the use and production of nuclear weapons with legal binding force. He stressed the significance of the treaty, when he said, “Even when survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings will no longer be able to speak of their experiences, the treaty will continue binding the world together. The appeals made by A-bomb survivors played an important role in helping the treaty come into effect.”

The first meeting of the parties to the TPNW is scheduled to be held this year. Mr. Kawasaki announced ICAN’s activity plans for the next three years until the second meeting is held. He announced the goal of doubling the number of ratifying countries and regions from the current 51 to 100, which comprises a majority of United Nations member countries, by making ever stronger pleas to the world to join the treaty. Another objective laid out by Mr. Kawasaki was having Japan and other countries that depend on a “nuclear umbrella” join the TPNW.

Japan’s national government asserts it will not join the treaty since its “approach is different” and that it plans to play the role of “bridge” between nuclear and non-nuclear weapon states. Japan also insists it will adopt a cautious attitude toward participating as an observer in the meetings of the parties to the TPNW. Mr. Kawasaki criticized the government’s stance, when he said, “If the government does not participate as an observer, it won’t be able to play the role of bridge.” He called on the government to take future ratification into consideration and participate in the meeting.

As for U.S. President-elect Joe Biden, who will be inaugurated on January 20, Mr. Kawasaki said, “I want to look carefully at how he will deal with the no-first-use policy of nuclear weapons and the budget for new nuclear-weapons development.”

(Originally published on January 16, 2021)

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