New group of non-nuclear weapon states takes form today
Sep. 22, 2010
by Kohei Okata, Staff Writer
A group of non-nuclear weapon states led by Japan and Australia will be formed on September 22 in New York, where foreign ministers of the world's nations are gathering to attend the U.N. General Assembly. In addition to the General Assembly, several ministerial-level meetings with regard to nuclear disarmament will be held. Regarding the goal of realizing a world without nuclear weapons, it is hoped that discussion will be held that leads to implementing the action plan contained in the final document adopted at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference of this past May.
The new group of non-nuclear weapon states will hold its first meeting at the Australian Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York. According to the Arms Control and Disarmament Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, the impulse for forming the group is to maintain momentum for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation and to make a viable proposal to implement the action plan included in the final document. The group will involve nearly 10 countries, including Japan, Australia, and Germany, and a statement from the meeting will be issued.
Former Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada, who has emphasized nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation issues, has promoted the effort to form a new group of non-nuclear weapon states. Under his prodding, the Advisory Panel of Experts on Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation was established this past July. In the four meetings of this panel, the participants discussed the member nations and the future direction of this new non-nuclear group.
Mitsuru Kurosawa, a professor at Osaka Jogakuin College and chair of the panel, expects the new group to play a role in advancing nuclear disarmament by serving as a bridge between the nuclear weapon states and the non-aligned Movement (NAM) countries, which are keen for nuclear abolition. Specifically, he will focus on whether the new group will take further action to address the policy of the nuclear weapon states in which nuclear arms are held to deter nuclear attacks.
Professor Kurosawa went on to say that it would be a significant step for the nations under the U.S. nuclear umbrella to try reducing the role of nuclear weapons. However, Seiji Maehara, who assumed the post of Foreign Minister just prior to the first meeting of the new group, may become a cause for concern. Though Mr. Maehara is well-versed in security policy, his actions have been described as hawkish, including voicing approval of the right to collective self-defense.
At his last press conference as foreign minister on September 17, Mr. Okada revealed that he had been planning to make the issues of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation a main pillar of the nation's policy over the next 12 months. He said he hopes the trend of a steady effort toward a nuclear-free world, with firm political will, can take root. Meanwhile, at his first press conference as foreign minister, Mr. Maehara said only that he would like to make efforts to carry on Mr. Okada's wishes.
In New York, several meetings are planned. They include: on September 23, the CTBT Ministerial Meeting to promote entry into force of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT); and on September 24, the High-Level Summit on the Geneva Conference on Disarmament (CD) hosted by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. At the summit, such agenda items as the Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty (FMCT), the negotiation of which has not begun at the CD, will be discussed.
(Originally published on September 22, 2010)
A group of non-nuclear weapon states led by Japan and Australia will be formed on September 22 in New York, where foreign ministers of the world's nations are gathering to attend the U.N. General Assembly. In addition to the General Assembly, several ministerial-level meetings with regard to nuclear disarmament will be held. Regarding the goal of realizing a world without nuclear weapons, it is hoped that discussion will be held that leads to implementing the action plan contained in the final document adopted at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference of this past May.
The new group of non-nuclear weapon states will hold its first meeting at the Australian Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York. According to the Arms Control and Disarmament Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, the impulse for forming the group is to maintain momentum for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation and to make a viable proposal to implement the action plan included in the final document. The group will involve nearly 10 countries, including Japan, Australia, and Germany, and a statement from the meeting will be issued.
Former Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada, who has emphasized nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation issues, has promoted the effort to form a new group of non-nuclear weapon states. Under his prodding, the Advisory Panel of Experts on Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation was established this past July. In the four meetings of this panel, the participants discussed the member nations and the future direction of this new non-nuclear group.
Mitsuru Kurosawa, a professor at Osaka Jogakuin College and chair of the panel, expects the new group to play a role in advancing nuclear disarmament by serving as a bridge between the nuclear weapon states and the non-aligned Movement (NAM) countries, which are keen for nuclear abolition. Specifically, he will focus on whether the new group will take further action to address the policy of the nuclear weapon states in which nuclear arms are held to deter nuclear attacks.
Professor Kurosawa went on to say that it would be a significant step for the nations under the U.S. nuclear umbrella to try reducing the role of nuclear weapons. However, Seiji Maehara, who assumed the post of Foreign Minister just prior to the first meeting of the new group, may become a cause for concern. Though Mr. Maehara is well-versed in security policy, his actions have been described as hawkish, including voicing approval of the right to collective self-defense.
At his last press conference as foreign minister on September 17, Mr. Okada revealed that he had been planning to make the issues of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation a main pillar of the nation's policy over the next 12 months. He said he hopes the trend of a steady effort toward a nuclear-free world, with firm political will, can take root. Meanwhile, at his first press conference as foreign minister, Mr. Maehara said only that he would like to make efforts to carry on Mr. Okada's wishes.
In New York, several meetings are planned. They include: on September 23, the CTBT Ministerial Meeting to promote entry into force of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT); and on September 24, the High-Level Summit on the Geneva Conference on Disarmament (CD) hosted by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. At the summit, such agenda items as the Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty (FMCT), the negotiation of which has not begun at the CD, will be discussed.
(Originally published on September 22, 2010)
