Japan Refuses To Sign Nuclear Treaty Joint Statement
by Beth on Saturday, April 27, 2013
by Beth on Saturday, April 27, 2013
Amano Mari, Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations Office at Geneva during of the Session 2013 of Conference of disarmement.
22 Juanary 2013. Photo by Jean-Marc Ferré
The statement asked representatives to commit to not using nuclear weapons under any circumstances, but Amano said that this conflicted with Japanese security policy.
As a nation that has the suffering of both the atomic bomb and nuclear disasters still in living memory, Japanese netizens took to Twitter to make their feelings known.
From NHK:
Japan Refuses To Sign Non-Proliferation Treaty Statement That Nuclear Weapons Will Not Be Used
In a Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) meeting held in Geneva, Switzerland, a joint statement was submitted that states nuclear weapons are inhumane and should not be used under any circumstances; however, Japan, the sole nation which is a victim of nuclear bombing, has come under fire from NGOs for not having signed the statement.
The joint statement was submitted by a group of South African representatives on April 24, during a preparatory meeting before a conference to review the NPT, which is to be held in Geneva.
In the statement, it says that “Due to the use of nuclear weapons, not only is there be a direct loss of human lives, but social and economic development is suspended, the environment is destroyed, and future generations lose their health, food and water supplies”, emphasising the inhumane nature of nuclear weapons.
Thus, it further stated that “Not using nuclear weapons again, under any circumstances, is therefore for the benefit of the existence of mankind”, and pledges that the signatories will not use nuclear weapons.
74 countries have added their names to the joint statement, but Japan, the sole nation which has been a victim of nuclear bombing, did not sign.
Ambassador Amano Mari, the Japanese government representative for the Conference on Disarmament, told a group of reporters that insofar as “we agree on the point that the effects of the use of nuclear weapons is inhumane, the point that nuclear weapons cannot be used under any circumstances is irreconcilable with Japan’s security policy”.
It is assumed that one reason as to why Japan did not sign is because Japan is protected under the “nuclear umbrella” of America, but criticism has arisen from NGOs who will also participate in the conference, and around 50 people held a protest against Japan’s decision in front of the buildings of the Japanese government representative for the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.
