Japanese government rebuffs U.N. negotiations to ban nuclear weapons
Mar. 29, 2017
by Kyosuke Mizukawa, Staff Writer
NEW YORK -- On March 27 (midnight on the same day, Japan time), negotiations to establish a treaty that would outlaw nuclear weapons began at United Nations headquarters in New York. Non-nuclear nations like Austria, which support such a treaty, spoke one after another, citing the inhumanity of nuclear arms and calling for these weapons to be legally banned.
During this phase of speeches by government representatives, Nobushige Takamizawa, Japan’s disarmament ambassador, said that a treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons would not adequately address security concerns. Meanwhile, the representative from Austria stressed that the non-nuclear nations had seen images of the devastated A-bomb cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and listened to the accounts of the A-bomb survivors, and put forth the idea that nuclear weapons could be eliminated along with the nuclear powers after these weapons were outlawed by the treaty. The representative from Mexico said that a world without nuclear weapons was not merely a dream, pointing to the presence of nuclear-weapon-free zones around the world.
Manuel González Sanz, Costa Rica’s minister of foreign affairs, underscored the fact that the international community had already banned biological weapons and chemical weapons by making treaties, and said, as history has shown, that nuclear weapons, too, could be eliminated after they are deemed illegal. While also recognizing the abstentions on the part of the nuclear powers, Mr. González emphasized the importance of this gathering of nations and their efforts to advance nuclear abolition. Elayne Whyte Gómez, Costa Rica’s Ambassador Permanent Representative of the Republic of Costa Rica to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, is serving as chair of this conference.
On the first day of the meeting, about 30 people made speeches. From the second day, March 28, to the final day, March 31, the participants will discuss the contents of the treaty, including the preamble, objectives, and prohibitions.
Disarmament ambassador delivers speech expressing opposition to treaty talks
by Kyosuke Mizukawa (from New York) and Michiko Tanaka, Staff Writers
On March 28, the Japanese government announced that Japan would not take part in the U.N. talks to establish a treaty that would outlaw nuclear weapons, now taking place at U.N. headquarters in New York. Minister of Foreign Affairs Fumio Kishida defended Japan’s decision by saying, “A treaty like this will not contribute toward creating a world without nuclear weapons but will only deepen the rift between the nuclear nations and the non-nuclear nations, which could have adverse effects.” Japan’s absence at the talks has led to a scenario in which the world’s only nation to have suffered nuclear attack has not joined the first round of negotiations to create a treaty that would completely prohibit and abolish nuclear arms.
On March 27, the first day of the conference, speeches were made prior to the start of negotiations. Representing Japan was Japanese disarmament ambassador Nobushige Takamizawa, who stressed the government’s traditional argument that a reduction in nuclear weapons should be carried out in a phased approach, while avoiding divisions between the nuclear and non-nuclear nations. It would thus be difficult, he said, for the Japanese government to take part in the meeting in a sincere and constructive manner. He also mentioned the nuclear tests and missile launches pursued by North Korea, saying that “Even if a treaty banning nuclear weapons is created, I don’t think it will help address our security concerns, including the threat posed by North Korea.”
In line with Mr. Takamizawa’s address, Mr. Kishida responded to questions from the media at the prime minister’s office by saying, “The Japanese government made a statement at the conference, but not one nuclear nation has chosen to take part. Therefore, we made the decision not to participate in these talks.” Responding to the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the two A-bombed cities, who have repeatedly called for Mr. Kishida to join the negotiations, he said that the wishes of the A-bomb survivors were considered precious and important. However, he sought understanding for the government’s decision, saying, “As Japan’s representatives, we had to give serious thought to what we felt the best conditions would be to produce realistic results.”
The conference will continue until March 31 and the participants will discuss such issues as the prohibited matters to be included in the treaty. The nations backing this treaty are intent on creating a draft of the agreement prior to the next round of negotiations in June and July.
Representatives from roughly 120 nations and regions, including Japan, appeared at the gathering on March 27. No-shows included the five nuclear superpowers -- the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, and Russia -- as well as other nuclear nations like India, Pakistan, and North Korea. In addition, most of the member nations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are opposed to these negotiations.
In conjunction with the opening of the conference, Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, held a press conference and issued a statement expressing opposition to the talks. North Korea, she argued, would never agree to such a treaty. She also said that the international community must be more realistic when it comes to addressing nuclear abolition. The representatives from about 20 nations, including the United Kingdom and France, sat alongside Ms. Haley to lend their support to this position.
(Originally published on March 29, 2017)
NEW YORK -- On March 27 (midnight on the same day, Japan time), negotiations to establish a treaty that would outlaw nuclear weapons began at United Nations headquarters in New York. Non-nuclear nations like Austria, which support such a treaty, spoke one after another, citing the inhumanity of nuclear arms and calling for these weapons to be legally banned.
During this phase of speeches by government representatives, Nobushige Takamizawa, Japan’s disarmament ambassador, said that a treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons would not adequately address security concerns. Meanwhile, the representative from Austria stressed that the non-nuclear nations had seen images of the devastated A-bomb cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and listened to the accounts of the A-bomb survivors, and put forth the idea that nuclear weapons could be eliminated along with the nuclear powers after these weapons were outlawed by the treaty. The representative from Mexico said that a world without nuclear weapons was not merely a dream, pointing to the presence of nuclear-weapon-free zones around the world.
Manuel González Sanz, Costa Rica’s minister of foreign affairs, underscored the fact that the international community had already banned biological weapons and chemical weapons by making treaties, and said, as history has shown, that nuclear weapons, too, could be eliminated after they are deemed illegal. While also recognizing the abstentions on the part of the nuclear powers, Mr. González emphasized the importance of this gathering of nations and their efforts to advance nuclear abolition. Elayne Whyte Gómez, Costa Rica’s Ambassador Permanent Representative of the Republic of Costa Rica to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, is serving as chair of this conference.
On the first day of the meeting, about 30 people made speeches. From the second day, March 28, to the final day, March 31, the participants will discuss the contents of the treaty, including the preamble, objectives, and prohibitions.
Disarmament ambassador delivers speech expressing opposition to treaty talks
by Kyosuke Mizukawa (from New York) and Michiko Tanaka, Staff Writers
On March 28, the Japanese government announced that Japan would not take part in the U.N. talks to establish a treaty that would outlaw nuclear weapons, now taking place at U.N. headquarters in New York. Minister of Foreign Affairs Fumio Kishida defended Japan’s decision by saying, “A treaty like this will not contribute toward creating a world without nuclear weapons but will only deepen the rift between the nuclear nations and the non-nuclear nations, which could have adverse effects.” Japan’s absence at the talks has led to a scenario in which the world’s only nation to have suffered nuclear attack has not joined the first round of negotiations to create a treaty that would completely prohibit and abolish nuclear arms.
On March 27, the first day of the conference, speeches were made prior to the start of negotiations. Representing Japan was Japanese disarmament ambassador Nobushige Takamizawa, who stressed the government’s traditional argument that a reduction in nuclear weapons should be carried out in a phased approach, while avoiding divisions between the nuclear and non-nuclear nations. It would thus be difficult, he said, for the Japanese government to take part in the meeting in a sincere and constructive manner. He also mentioned the nuclear tests and missile launches pursued by North Korea, saying that “Even if a treaty banning nuclear weapons is created, I don’t think it will help address our security concerns, including the threat posed by North Korea.”
In line with Mr. Takamizawa’s address, Mr. Kishida responded to questions from the media at the prime minister’s office by saying, “The Japanese government made a statement at the conference, but not one nuclear nation has chosen to take part. Therefore, we made the decision not to participate in these talks.” Responding to the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the two A-bombed cities, who have repeatedly called for Mr. Kishida to join the negotiations, he said that the wishes of the A-bomb survivors were considered precious and important. However, he sought understanding for the government’s decision, saying, “As Japan’s representatives, we had to give serious thought to what we felt the best conditions would be to produce realistic results.”
The conference will continue until March 31 and the participants will discuss such issues as the prohibited matters to be included in the treaty. The nations backing this treaty are intent on creating a draft of the agreement prior to the next round of negotiations in June and July.
Representatives from roughly 120 nations and regions, including Japan, appeared at the gathering on March 27. No-shows included the five nuclear superpowers -- the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, and Russia -- as well as other nuclear nations like India, Pakistan, and North Korea. In addition, most of the member nations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are opposed to these negotiations.
In conjunction with the opening of the conference, Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, held a press conference and issued a statement expressing opposition to the talks. North Korea, she argued, would never agree to such a treaty. She also said that the international community must be more realistic when it comes to addressing nuclear abolition. The representatives from about 20 nations, including the United Kingdom and France, sat alongside Ms. Haley to lend their support to this position.
(Originally published on March 29, 2017)
