Group of Eminent Persons submits recommendations to Japanese foreign minister, urges government to serve as “bridge”
Mar. 30, 2018
by Michiko Tanaka, Staff Writer
The Group of Eminent Persons for Substantive Advancement of Nuclear Disarmament submitted its recommendations to Foreign Minister Taro Kono on March 29. Established by Japan’s foreign ministry, the group has been exploring ways to advance nuclear disarmament and has put together measures that they recommend be undertaken by nations. Mr. Kono said that the recommendations would serve as input for the second Preparatory Committee of the Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which is scheduled to open in Geneva, Switzerland on April 23.
The seven-page recommendations were written by 16 experts from both nonnuclear and nuclear-armed states. In the beginning, they point out that “two trends have come into sharper relief,” one of which involves the non-nuclear states, which are promoting the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons based on the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of the use of nuclear arms, and the other concerns the actions of the nuclear-armed nations and their allies. The group suggests that “civility in discourse and respect for divergent views must be restored.”
As activities to build bridges between the two sides, the recommendations suggest that the nuclear-armed states improve transparency in terms of their nuclear capabilities in order to strengthen the NPT regime, under which the nuclear weapon states are obliged to pursue negotiations for nuclear disarmament. These nations are urged to cooperate with their allies in reducing the role of nuclear weapons in national security policies. The recommendations also emphasize the necessity of developing mechanisms to verify whether nuclear arms are really being reduced.
The recommendations go on to say that there are fundamental differences among nations regarding the utility of nuclear deterrence. For the elimination of nuclear weapons, these differences need to be accepted and honest dialogue must
be pursued. Takashi Shiraishi, the chair of the group and the former president of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, along with three other members of the group, met with Mr. Kono at the ministry and handed the proposals to him. Mr. Kono said, “The recommendations are useful. If circumstances permit, I will attend the review conference and explain the position of the Japanese government based on them.”
The first session of the Group of Eminent Persons Conference was held in November last year in Hiroshima. Members of the group drafted their recommendations after the second session, which was held on March 26 and 27 in Tokyo. In fiscal 2018, the group will continue their discussions on the medium- and long-term challenges associated with nuclear disarmament.
■Main points of the recommendations proposed by the Group of Eminent Persons
・Enhancing the NPT regime, including improving transparency in terms of nuclear capabilities
・Finding ways to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in national security policies
・Developing effective verification mechanisms for nuclear disarmament
・Reaffirming the understanding that nuclear war cannot be won and should not be fought
・Nuclear-armed states should refrain from coercive action based on the threat of the use of nuclear weapons
・Establishing common ground for discussing such topics as the right of self-defense, which under extreme circumstances of national survival could envisage the possibility of the limited threat of use or use of nuclear weapons
Commentary: A-bomb survivors unsatisfied with recommendations
by Kyosuke Mizukawa, Staff Writer
The recommendations proposed by the Group of Eminent Persons included enhancing the NPT regime, but did not make direct mention of measures to encourage nations, even in the future, to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which was adopted in July of last year. This does not satisfy the survivors of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, since they have been maintaining that serving as a “bridge” means encouraging the nuclear weapon states to join the treaty even though they are currently opposed to it.
Still, the Japanese government, which established the Group of Eminent Persons, must be faithful to its words. The divide over nuclear disarmament has arisen from the non-nuclear states’ dissatisfaction with the nuclear weapon states, which are not working hard enough to carry out phased reductions, a promise that they made under the nuclear disarmament obligations of the NPT. To build confidence between the two sides, which the recommendations call for, it is necessary to ensure that the nuclear weapon states reduce their nuclear arsenals.
The recommendations also urge the nuclear-armed states to find ways to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in national security policies in cooperation with states under extended nuclear security policies. But the Japanese government said that it “highly appreciates” the latest U.S. Nuclear Posture Review, which indicates that the country intends to expand the role of nuclear weapons. The Japanese government must take the recommendations seriously and study security policies that do not rely on the “nuclear umbrella.”
Also, to promote the nuclear weapons ban treaty, Hiroshima should make up for what is missing in the recommendations. In fact, some concrete proposals have been made from Hiroshima: Mayors for Peace has proposed that the nuclear weapon states participate in meetings of the States Parties as observers even before joining the treaty, and a group of experts organized by the prefectural government of Hiroshima has proposed seeking deterrence in the form of conventional weapons. Hiroshima must involve its citizens and keep conveying the suffering caused by the use of these inhumane weapons. Such steady efforts are the key to encouraging the nuclear weapon states to join the treaty.
(Originally published on March 30, 2018)
The Group of Eminent Persons for Substantive Advancement of Nuclear Disarmament submitted its recommendations to Foreign Minister Taro Kono on March 29. Established by Japan’s foreign ministry, the group has been exploring ways to advance nuclear disarmament and has put together measures that they recommend be undertaken by nations. Mr. Kono said that the recommendations would serve as input for the second Preparatory Committee of the Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which is scheduled to open in Geneva, Switzerland on April 23.
The seven-page recommendations were written by 16 experts from both nonnuclear and nuclear-armed states. In the beginning, they point out that “two trends have come into sharper relief,” one of which involves the non-nuclear states, which are promoting the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons based on the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of the use of nuclear arms, and the other concerns the actions of the nuclear-armed nations and their allies. The group suggests that “civility in discourse and respect for divergent views must be restored.”
As activities to build bridges between the two sides, the recommendations suggest that the nuclear-armed states improve transparency in terms of their nuclear capabilities in order to strengthen the NPT regime, under which the nuclear weapon states are obliged to pursue negotiations for nuclear disarmament. These nations are urged to cooperate with their allies in reducing the role of nuclear weapons in national security policies. The recommendations also emphasize the necessity of developing mechanisms to verify whether nuclear arms are really being reduced.
The recommendations go on to say that there are fundamental differences among nations regarding the utility of nuclear deterrence. For the elimination of nuclear weapons, these differences need to be accepted and honest dialogue must
be pursued. Takashi Shiraishi, the chair of the group and the former president of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, along with three other members of the group, met with Mr. Kono at the ministry and handed the proposals to him. Mr. Kono said, “The recommendations are useful. If circumstances permit, I will attend the review conference and explain the position of the Japanese government based on them.”
The first session of the Group of Eminent Persons Conference was held in November last year in Hiroshima. Members of the group drafted their recommendations after the second session, which was held on March 26 and 27 in Tokyo. In fiscal 2018, the group will continue their discussions on the medium- and long-term challenges associated with nuclear disarmament.
■Main points of the recommendations proposed by the Group of Eminent Persons
・Enhancing the NPT regime, including improving transparency in terms of nuclear capabilities
・Finding ways to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in national security policies
・Developing effective verification mechanisms for nuclear disarmament
・Reaffirming the understanding that nuclear war cannot be won and should not be fought
・Nuclear-armed states should refrain from coercive action based on the threat of the use of nuclear weapons
・Establishing common ground for discussing such topics as the right of self-defense, which under extreme circumstances of national survival could envisage the possibility of the limited threat of use or use of nuclear weapons
Commentary: A-bomb survivors unsatisfied with recommendations
by Kyosuke Mizukawa, Staff Writer
The recommendations proposed by the Group of Eminent Persons included enhancing the NPT regime, but did not make direct mention of measures to encourage nations, even in the future, to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which was adopted in July of last year. This does not satisfy the survivors of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, since they have been maintaining that serving as a “bridge” means encouraging the nuclear weapon states to join the treaty even though they are currently opposed to it.
Still, the Japanese government, which established the Group of Eminent Persons, must be faithful to its words. The divide over nuclear disarmament has arisen from the non-nuclear states’ dissatisfaction with the nuclear weapon states, which are not working hard enough to carry out phased reductions, a promise that they made under the nuclear disarmament obligations of the NPT. To build confidence between the two sides, which the recommendations call for, it is necessary to ensure that the nuclear weapon states reduce their nuclear arsenals.
The recommendations also urge the nuclear-armed states to find ways to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in national security policies in cooperation with states under extended nuclear security policies. But the Japanese government said that it “highly appreciates” the latest U.S. Nuclear Posture Review, which indicates that the country intends to expand the role of nuclear weapons. The Japanese government must take the recommendations seriously and study security policies that do not rely on the “nuclear umbrella.”
Also, to promote the nuclear weapons ban treaty, Hiroshima should make up for what is missing in the recommendations. In fact, some concrete proposals have been made from Hiroshima: Mayors for Peace has proposed that the nuclear weapon states participate in meetings of the States Parties as observers even before joining the treaty, and a group of experts organized by the prefectural government of Hiroshima has proposed seeking deterrence in the form of conventional weapons. Hiroshima must involve its citizens and keep conveying the suffering caused by the use of these inhumane weapons. Such steady efforts are the key to encouraging the nuclear weapon states to join the treaty.
(Originally published on March 30, 2018)
