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Citizens’ group from Hiroshima calls for Hiroshima-Nagasaki Protocol to be proposed at NPT Review Conference

by Kohei Okata, Staff Writer

In the run-up to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference to open on May 3, the "Yes! Campaign," a citizens' group for which Maeko Nobumoto serves as secretary general, made an appeal to the Japanese government on April 22 to propose the "Hiroshima-Nagasaki Protocol" for adoption at the conference.

Ms. Nobumoto and other members of the group met with Koichi Takemasa, state secretary for foreign affairs, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The "Yes! Campaign," in submitting copies of 1,096 signatures collected over the past six months by the group's caravan team from the leaders of Japanese municipalities in support of the protocol, called on Japan to propose the measure, a roadmap to abolish nuclear weapons by the year 2020, at the NPT Review Conference. Mr. Takemasa reportedly told them that he would convey their message to both Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada.

Hiroo Iso, 68, a resident of Fukuyama and deputy secretary general of the "Yes! Campaign," expressed hope after the meeting, saying, "The signatures from the leaders of more than 60% of the total municipalities in Japan provide a big boost for the government to take action. I hope Japan proposes the protocol at the conference, marking the first step toward nuclear abolition."

The "Yes! Campaign" made the same request to Koji Sato, deputy secretary general of the Democratic Party of Japan and a member of the House of Councilors from Hiroshima at the Diet.

(Originally published on April 23, 2010)

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