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Swift Abolition of Nuclear Weapons

The following is the text of the "Call for the Swift Abolition of Nuclear Weapons" announced by the Japan Council against A & H Bombs (Japan Gensuikyo) at the start of the new signature campaign for the abolition of nuclear weapons:

It is now 60 years since the first session of the UN General Assembly adopted its first resolution in January 1946 pledging to move towards the elimination of nuclear weapons. Today, the overwhelming majority of both the people and the governments of the world are demanding the abolition of nuclear weapons. Nevertheless, a large number of nuclear weapons, enough to annihilate the whole of humanity, are still being stockpiled and deployed.

In particular, the government of the United States, the biggest nuclear power, declares that it will retain its massive nuclear arsenals into the foreseeable future. On the grounds of needing to cope with the "dangers of terrorism and nuclear proliferation", it is continuing to wage war and even developing plans to use nuclear weapons and build new nuclear warheads. These actions betray the first UN resolution, as well as the "unequivocal undertaking" to eliminate their nuclear arsenals, agreed upon in 2000 by the nuclear weapon states' governments at the NPT Review Conference. Further, they run counter to the purpose and the basic principle of the United Nations "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war" and to settle international disputes "by peaceful means".

Together with the Hibakusha, the A-bomb survivors, we have worked to spread around the world their message that "Hiroshima/Nagasaki should never be repeated." This has helped to prevent the outbreak of nuclear war on many occasions and build up global momentum in support of the abolition of nuclear weapons. Now people on all continents share this goal and are joining together in actions to carry forward this effort to turn the rest of the 21st century into an era where humans are liberated from the danger of nuclear war. A total ban on nuclear weapons is also the only sure way to remove the danger of nuclear proliferation.

In pursuit of a nuclear weapon-free, peaceful and just world, we herewith urge the United Nations Organization and all governments of the world, including the nuclear weapons states, to begin negotiations with no further delay to reach an international convention for a total ban on, and the elimination of, nuclear weapons.