June 17, 2017
The second round of UN negotiations on a nuclear weapons ban treaty started on June 15 at the UN headquarters in NYC. With many international NGOs filling the assembly hall gallery, the head of a Japanese women’s NGO and the Hiroshima City mayor gave speeches.
On behalf of civil society of the only atomic-bombed country, their presence was deeply felt with the government of Japan absenting itself from the UN session.
New Japan Women’s Association (Shinfujin) President Kasai Kimiyo, who is also a representative of the Japan Council against A and H Bombs (Japan Gensuikyo), said, “An overwhelming majority of Japanese women and people stand with you hoping to see this conference take a historic step forward by adopting the convention to prohibit nuclear weapons,” and expressed support for a Draft Convention released by President of the UN Conference Elayne Whyte.
Kasai reported that the number of Hibakusha-led antinuke signatures reached 2.96 million in Japan alone, and welcomed the Draft Convention stipulating a total ban on nuclear weapons for humanitarian purposes, placing importance on leading roles played by A-bombed survivors and civil society, and adopting a gender perspective.
She also said, “Heightening international tensions are the reason why we must hurry to eliminate nuclear weapons,” and called on world politics to return to the principle of humanitarianism, on nuclear weapons states to “fulfill their promise to eliminate their nuclear arsenals”, and on the government of Japan to “play an active role by supporting, signing, and ratifying the convention”.
Past related articles:
> Hidankyo in annual meeting resolves to step up efforts to achieve international treaty banning nuclear weapons [June 7, 8, and 10, 2017]
> Bar associations in Japan work towards realization of nuclear weapons ban treaty [June 8, 2017]
> A-bomb survivors request JCP to push gov’t to support nuclear weapons ban treaty [June 9, 2017]
On behalf of civil society of the only atomic-bombed country, their presence was deeply felt with the government of Japan absenting itself from the UN session.
New Japan Women’s Association (Shinfujin) President Kasai Kimiyo, who is also a representative of the Japan Council against A and H Bombs (Japan Gensuikyo), said, “An overwhelming majority of Japanese women and people stand with you hoping to see this conference take a historic step forward by adopting the convention to prohibit nuclear weapons,” and expressed support for a Draft Convention released by President of the UN Conference Elayne Whyte.
Kasai reported that the number of Hibakusha-led antinuke signatures reached 2.96 million in Japan alone, and welcomed the Draft Convention stipulating a total ban on nuclear weapons for humanitarian purposes, placing importance on leading roles played by A-bombed survivors and civil society, and adopting a gender perspective.
She also said, “Heightening international tensions are the reason why we must hurry to eliminate nuclear weapons,” and called on world politics to return to the principle of humanitarianism, on nuclear weapons states to “fulfill their promise to eliminate their nuclear arsenals”, and on the government of Japan to “play an active role by supporting, signing, and ratifying the convention”.
Past related articles:
> Hidankyo in annual meeting resolves to step up efforts to achieve international treaty banning nuclear weapons [June 7, 8, and 10, 2017]
> Bar associations in Japan work towards realization of nuclear weapons ban treaty [June 8, 2017]
> A-bomb survivors request JCP to push gov’t to support nuclear weapons ban treaty [June 9, 2017]
