2001 World Conference against A & H Bombs

Declaration of the International Meeting

As we entered the 21st century, the demand for a nuclear-free world
gathered momentum in international politics and also in international
public opinion. We, the participants in the 2001 World Conference against
A & H Bombs, call on people around the world to work together to abolish
nuclear weapons, which continue to threaten the survival of humankind, and
build a world where justice and hope will prevail.

In the closing year of the 20th century, the United States and the other
nuclear weapons states, under pressure from the world public, agreed on an
"unequivocal undertaking to accomplish the total elimination of their
nuclear arsenals" at the 2000 NPT Review Conference. The cry of the
Hibakusha -- "Hiroshima and Nagasaki Never Again" -- has become a worldwide
demand for the abolition of nuclear weapons. Along with the efforts of the
governments of the New Agenda Group, Non-Aligned countries and other
non-nuclear governments, this call is increasing its impact on
international politics.

Nuclear weapons states, however, are showing no willingness to set about
the elimination of their nuclear arsenals. While talking about reduction
of a certain number of nuclear warheads, the U.S. and Russia still cling to
a policy of nuclear deterrence on the excuse of "national security" or "new
threats", and try to maintain their privileged nuclear monopoly.

Especially, the Bush Administration is working to establish nuclear
supremacy by developing a new system that combines nuclear weapons with
"Missile Defense" systems. This will, in turn, give the U.S. more freedom
to initiate nuclear attacks and thus reinforce its infamous first strike
strategy. Seen in this light, the danger of U.S. pursuit of global
dominance becomes ever clearer. Furthermore, the U.S. aims to bury the
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and to scrap a number of other agreements.
The urgent task for us now, in order to achieve world peace, is to make
headway on the abolition of nuclear weapons, and to stop these new and
dangerous moves.

The arrogance of superpowers in seeking their own narrow "national
interests" has drawn protest over the issues of environmental destruction,
unemployment, poverty, hunger and debt. Their position becomes more and
more incompatible with the interests of the peoples and governments of
other countries. The establishment of a just and peaceful democratic
international order based on the U.N. Charter is an ever more pressing task.

The Japanese Government has expressed understanding of and cooperation with
"Missile Defense", and is moving to deeply involve Japan in U.S. nuclear
policy. Japan hosts over 100 U.S. military bases under the Japan-U.S.
military alliance. Asian countries are increasingly alerted by the clear
moves of Japan to take a more and more substantial part in U.S. military
activities. Military alliances are clearly incompatible with wishes for
peace and opposition to nuclear weapons. Japanese peace forces are urging
the Japanese Government to take positive action for nuclear weapons
abolition, as befits the government of the A-bombed country, and to abide
by the Three Non-Nuclear Principles. The Japanese peace forces reject
attempts to justify the past war of aggression through the authorization of
a school textbook which gives a distorted picture of history, and they are
working for full implementation of Article 9 of the Constitution. These
efforts are important in order to reinforce the ongoing developments in
Asia in favor of peace.

As the tragedy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki shows, the security of the world
and the future of humankind will be assured only by sweeping away the
threat of nuclear weapons. In order to swiftly achieve a world set free of
nuclear weapons, this first World Conference against A and H Bombs of the
21st century calls on the people of the world to take the following actions:

1. Urge the nuclear weapons states to fulfill their "unequivocal
undertaking" to eliminate their nuclear arsenals.We call on all governments
to ensure that the U.N. General Assembly, the Conference on Disarmament and
other relevant international bodies take a decision to start negotiations
immediately on a treaty to abolish and totally ban nuclear weapons.

2. Make widely known to the public the dangerous nature of the "Missile
Defense" program and urgently develop international joint actions to demand
the cancellation of the program.

3. Demand a halt to the development and testing of nuclear weapons,
ratification and enforcement of the CTBT, deep cuts in nuclear arsenals,
and renunciation of the policies of the first use of nuclear weapons as
well as their use against non-nuclear weapons states. We must oppose the
bringing in and deployment of nuclear weapons in foreign territories or
territorial waters, or demand their removal if they are already there. We
call for the expansion and consolidation of nuclear-free zones and
municipalities. We demand that foreign military bases and pacts be
dismantled and that the cause of the damage and harm from the bases be
eradicated.

4. Undertake fact-finding on the damage in all its aspects, caused by the
atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and by the development, testing
and production of nuclear weapons, and make this damage known to the
public. We must also demand compensation for the victims and extend relief
to them. In solidarity with the struggle to end the damage from the
nuclear fuel cycle, let us oppose the dangerous use of plutonium and
depleted uranium.

The responsibility of anti-nuclear peace movements and NGOs of the world is
especially great now. Based on what we have achieved, let us further
develop cooperation for a total ban on and the elimination of nuclear
weapons, beyond all differences of state, ethnicity, thought and belief.
We will widen cooperation with national governments that stand for reason
and against nuclear superpower privilege in their diplomatic efforts. Let
us build a new global dynamism to achieve the abolition of nuclear weapons
and to open up a new future for humanity.

August 5, 2001
International Meeting, World Conference against A &
H Bombs