Upper house adopts resolution for nuclear-free world
Jun. 18, 2009
Japan's House of Councillors unanimously adopted a resolution in a plenary session Wednesday recommending the government strengthen its efforts toward eliminating nuclear arms in the world.
This follows the previous day's endorsement of a similar resolution on the part of the House of Representatives.
Parliamentary endorsement of these resolutions was prompted by U.S. President Barack Obama's call in April for a nuclear-free world and then by North Korea's nuclear test May 25.
The upper house resolution says Japan, as the only country attacked with atomic bombs, has spearheaded an antinuclear movement and ''has the responsibility to further step up the campaign.''
It warns that ''such threats as development of not just nuclear weapons but also missiles that can carry nuclear bombs, outflows of nuclear materials and technologies, and nuclear proliferation are rather increasing even in this post-Cold War era.''
''To overcome this situation,'' the resolution states, President Obama pledged in his speech in Prague on April 5 that his country will seek to realize a nuclear-free world.
As for North Korea's second nuclear test last month, it says the U.N. Security Council presented ''steadfast refusal'' by adopting Resolution 1874 to impose a broad range of additional sanctions.
Against this backdrop, Japan should ''put forth efforts on nuclear arms reduction and nonproliferation, and work proactively toward establishing an effective inspection system,'' the resolution says.
(Distributed by Kyodo News on June 17, 2009)
Related articles
Lower House adopts first resolution calling for nuclear abolition (June 18, 2009)
Political parties call for parliamentary resolution on abolition of nuclear weapons (May 14, 2009)
This follows the previous day's endorsement of a similar resolution on the part of the House of Representatives.
Parliamentary endorsement of these resolutions was prompted by U.S. President Barack Obama's call in April for a nuclear-free world and then by North Korea's nuclear test May 25.
The upper house resolution says Japan, as the only country attacked with atomic bombs, has spearheaded an antinuclear movement and ''has the responsibility to further step up the campaign.''
It warns that ''such threats as development of not just nuclear weapons but also missiles that can carry nuclear bombs, outflows of nuclear materials and technologies, and nuclear proliferation are rather increasing even in this post-Cold War era.''
''To overcome this situation,'' the resolution states, President Obama pledged in his speech in Prague on April 5 that his country will seek to realize a nuclear-free world.
As for North Korea's second nuclear test last month, it says the U.N. Security Council presented ''steadfast refusal'' by adopting Resolution 1874 to impose a broad range of additional sanctions.
Against this backdrop, Japan should ''put forth efforts on nuclear arms reduction and nonproliferation, and work proactively toward establishing an effective inspection system,'' the resolution says.
(Distributed by Kyodo News on June 17, 2009)
Related articles
Lower House adopts first resolution calling for nuclear abolition (June 18, 2009)
Political parties call for parliamentary resolution on abolition of nuclear weapons (May 14, 2009)
