The recent review conference on the NPT = Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons was ruptured due to the opposition raised by Russia in the final stage to agree on the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. This is the second round of break following the previous meeting, that means the NPT system is on the verge of collapse. Popular movements are essential at the moment in order to eliminate nuclear weapons.
COLLAPSE OF NPT CANNOT BE ACCEPTED
The NPT framework took effect in 1970 when 191 countries and regions joined it. It has a principal aim to prevent proliferation of nuclear arms to the nations and regions except for five countries, US, UK, France, China and Russia, who possesses such weapons with an assurance of the status quo.
The NPT demands the nuclear powers to involve in nuclear disarmament, while approves nuclear development for a peaceful use to the nations not having such arms. For this objective the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was set up.
Only Russia refused
The conference was held after seven years of absence (usually every five years), in the serious circumstances in which concerns are being presented on a possibility of a use of nuclear arms by Russia and of the military actions around the Zaporozhie nuclear power plant (NPP). Adoption of the final document was not made as Russia rejected it, and the conference was cracked, closing on August 26.
The role of Japan had been focused in the conference, as she is the only atomic-bombed nation, and people had paid attention to how the government would appeal to the nuclear powers. Prime Minister Kishida Fumio was present at the meeting for the first time as Premier. He stated transparency of the NPT system and its maintenance and intensification, but he did not propose own plan to bring together the nuclear powers and the non-possession countries, though he himself believes in his mission to bridge them. NGO participants from Hiroshima and Nagasaki were disappointed and discouraged to have listened to his remarks.
Separately, a meeting was held in July of the state parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Mayors of Hiroshima Matsui Kazumi and of Nagasaki Taue Tomihisa were present, but the Japanese government did not send even an observer. Such an action indicates that the Japanese government only verbally commits in the matter, even though it proclaims emphatically the elimination of nuclear weapons and disarmament.
Again, think over from the original points
Meanwhile Japan is intensifying its military alliance with the United States under the nuclear umbrella provided by the latter. The former, seeing China and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea as hypothetical enemies, prepares the national security strategies, including capabilities to attack enemies’ bases, and attempts to revise the National Defense Program and the Mid-term Defense Capability Build-up Program. The current government goes toward further militarization of the nation, instead of disarmament, including its plan to double defense expenditure in coming five years.
In addition, the government plans to change its policy of ‘shutting down nuclear power plants’, which follows the severe accident at Fukushima-Daiichi of TEPCO=Tokyo Electric Power Company. Prime Minister Kishida expressed his polices August 24 to restart the NPPs in an excuse of the tight electricity supply and, furthermore, to develop new NPPs and extend the operation period at the obsolete power stations.
As you see, the government of Japan even renounces its mission and responsibility to disseminate the county’s historic lessons, including the atomic bombings coming from the war and the severe NPP accidents due to the natural disaster, which are exceptional in the world, in order to reach a world without nuclear arms. Let’s enhance our voices of eradicating nuclear weapons and nuclear power plants. Let’s think over again from the starting points of Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Fukushima.
ＮＰＴは、１９１カ国・地域が加盟して１９７０年に発効した。米英仏中露の核独占を保証しつつ、それ以外の国・地域への核兵器拡散を防ぐことを主な目的としている。
また、核保有国には核軍縮を求め、非核国には原子力の平和利用を認めている。そのために「国際原子力機関」（ＩＡＥＡ）が置かれている。
ロシアだけ拒む
７年ぶりの会議は、ロシアのウクライナ侵攻による核使用の懸念と、ザポロジェ原発周辺での軍事行動など、深刻な情勢下で開かれた。そのため全体の合意文書採択をロシアだけが拒んで決裂、８月26日に閉会した。
今回の会議では、戦争被爆国・日本の核廃絶へのアピールと核保有国への働きかけが大きく期待された。岸田文雄首相は日本の首相として初めて参加し、「核戦力の透明化」と「ＮＰＴ体制の維持・強化」を唱えた。 だが、核保有国と非核国の「はしわたし」を任じる独自の提案は無く、会議に参加した広島や長崎などのＮＧＯ関係者からは失望と落胆が表明された。
また、７月に開かれた核兵器禁止条約締結国会議に、松井一實広島市長、田上富久長崎市長は参加したが、政府はオブザーバーでも参加しなかった。日本政府が核廃絶や核軍縮を唱えても、口先だけの絵空事となろう。
改めて原点から
一方で日本は米国の核の傘の下、日米軍事一体化を一層強めている。中国や朝鮮を仮想敵国とした「敵基地攻撃能力」戦略を含む国家安全保障戦略の策定や防衛計画大綱、中期防衛力整備計画の改定を進めている。また向こう５年間に軍事費の倍増など、軍縮どころか軍拡に大きく舵を切っている。
さらに、東電福島第一原発の苛酷事故を受けた「脱原発」からの転換を狙っている。岸田首相は８月24日、電力需給の逼迫を口実に原発再稼働に加え、新たな原発開発と老朽原発の運転期間延長の検討を表明した。
このように、戦争被爆と原発苛酷事故を経験した世界に例のない日本の歴史的教訓を世界に広げ、各兵器のない世界を創る役割どころか、その自覚すら放棄した政府でいいはずがない。ヒロシマ・ナガサキ・フクシマの原点から核廃絶の声を世界に広げなくてはならない。
英訳版↓
No. 1273 NPT Broken down due to Russia’s Refusal
The recent review conference on the NPT = Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons was ruptured due to the opposition raised by Russia in the final stage to agree on the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. This is the second round of break following the previous meeting, that means the NPT system is on the verge of collapse. Popular movements are essential at the moment in order to eliminate nuclear weapons.
COLLAPSE OF NPT CANNOT BE ACCEPTED
The NPT framework took effect in 1970 when 191 countries and regions joined it. It has a principal aim to prevent proliferation of nuclear arms to the nations and regions except for five countries, US, UK, France, China and Russia, who possesses such weapons with an assurance of the status quo.
The NPT demands the nuclear powers to involve in nuclear disarmament, while approves nuclear development for a peaceful use to the nations not having such arms. For this objective the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was set up.
Only Russia refused
The conference was held after seven years of absence (usually every five years), in the serious circumstances in which concerns are being presented on a possibility of a use of nuclear arms by Russia and of the military actions around the Zaporozhie nuclear power plant (NPP). Adoption of the final document was not made as Russia rejected it, and the conference was cracked, closing on August 26.
The role of Japan had been focused in the conference, as she is the only atomic-bombed nation, and people had paid attention to how the government would appeal to the nuclear powers. Prime Minister Kishida Fumio was present at the meeting for the first time as Premier. He stated transparency of the NPT system and its maintenance and intensification, but he did not propose own plan to bring together the nuclear powers and the non-possession countries, though he himself believes in his mission to bridge them. NGO participants from Hiroshima and Nagasaki were disappointed and discouraged to have listened to his remarks.
Separately, a meeting was held in July of the state parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Mayors of Hiroshima Matsui Kazumi and of Nagasaki Taue Tomihisa were present, but the Japanese government did not send even an observer. Such an action indicates that the Japanese government only verbally commits in the matter, even though it proclaims emphatically the elimination of nuclear weapons and disarmament.
Again, think over from the original points
Meanwhile Japan is intensifying its military alliance with the United States under the nuclear umbrella provided by the latter. The former, seeing China and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea as hypothetical enemies, prepares the national security strategies, including capabilities to attack enemies’ bases, and attempts to revise the National Defense Program and the Mid-term Defense Capability Build-up Program. The current government goes toward further militarization of the nation, instead of disarmament, including its plan to double defense expenditure in coming five years.
In addition, the government plans to change its policy of ‘shutting down nuclear power plants’, which follows the severe accident at Fukushima-Daiichi of TEPCO=Tokyo Electric Power Company. Prime Minister Kishida expressed his polices August 24 to restart the NPPs in an excuse of the tight electricity supply and, furthermore, to develop new NPPs and extend the operation period at the obsolete power stations.
As you see, the government of Japan even renounces its mission and responsibility to disseminate the county’s historic lessons, including the atomic bombings coming from the war and the severe NPP accidents due to the natural disaster, which are exceptional in the world, in order to reach a world without nuclear arms. Let’s enhance our voices of eradicating nuclear weapons and nuclear power plants. Let’s think over again from the starting points of Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Fukushima.
September 7, 2022