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2006 World Conference against A & H Bombs receives messages from governments

The 2006 World Conference against A & H Bombs received messages from governments of Sweden, Laos, Vietnam, and Canada, in addition to New Zealand and Mexico which were carried earlier in JPS Weekly No. 2488.

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The following is the message from Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden Jan Eliasson:

On behalf of the Swedish Government, I would like to express my deepest respect for your dedicated work towards a world free from nuclear weapons. I pay my respect both in my function as President of the General Assembly of the United Nations and as Sweden's Minister for Foreign Affairs.

The World Conference against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs has a long history of tireless efforts to advance the cause of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. The World Conference serves as a constant reminder to both politicians and the general public of the horrific experiences of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

International disarmament, non-proliferation and a world free of weapons of mass destruction are, as you know, long-standing priorities for the Swedish Government. As Foreign Minister my intention is to build on Swedish traditions in this field. Three years ago, my predecessor, the late Minister for Foreign Affairs, Anna Lindh, asked Dr. Hans Blix to chair an International Commission on Weapons of Mass Destruction. On 1 June this year, the Commission's report "Weapons of Terror" was first presented to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and then to me. It is gratifying that the Commission has been able to agree on a large number of concrete recommendations, thus providing new impetus to international efforts to combat and restrict weapons of mass destruction.

Half of these recommendations pertain to nuclear weapons. The Commission underlines the need for nuclear weapon states to take steps towards honouring their nuclear commitments in the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The Commission also recommends that all states possessing nuclear weapons should declare a categorical policy of no first use of such weapons and that they diminish the role of these weapons in military doctrines and postures.

Much remains to be done, not only by the nuclear weapon states, but by all of us to free the world from nuclear weapons. In my view the Commission has provided us with concrete proposals that the Swedish Government will do its best to follow up. In this our endeavour, we will continue to be inspired by the dedicated work of the World Conference against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs.

Yours sincerely,

Jan Eliasson
Minister for Foreign Affairs

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The following is the message from President of Vietnam Nguyen Minh Triet:

On the occasion of the 2006 World Conference Against A&H Bombs to be held in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, on behalf of the entire people and peace movement in Vietnam and in my own name, I extend greetings of solidarity to representatives from governments, non-governmental and social organizations, international and national peace committees as well as all Japanese associations and individuals working for peace and progress attending the Conference.

Over the past 50 years, the annual World Conference Against A & H Bombs has always been a significant opportunity for peace-loving and progressive people all over the world to re-affirm their solidarity in the prevention of nuclear disasters from happening again to Mankind. This Conference continues to render on us responsibility to raise our voice in warning against the destructive disaster of nuclear weapons to life on our planet and demand the nuclear-weapon states to implement the UN General Assembly Resolution approved in December 2005 calling for the commitment to the reduction and total elimination of nuclear weapons on Earth. To do this is entirely in conformity with the will and wish of all progressive and peace-loving people in the world.

As a nation which underwent over 30 years of struggle for national liberation with great losses and sufferings, and even now in the peaceful time of national construction, are still enduring serious consequences caused by chemical weapons, including Agent Orange/dioxin, the entire people of Vietnam are well aware and whole-heartedly supportive of the noble goal set out by the Conference.

Let us unite and join our efforts for "a Peaceful, Just and Nuclear Weapon-Free World".

May the Conference be crowned with great successes!

NGUYEN MINH TRIET
President
The Socialist Republic of Vietnam

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The following is the message from President of Laos Choummaly Sayasone:

On behalf of the Government of the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the Lao People, I would like to express my sincere congratulations to Your Excellency and the members which will be held from 2-9th August 2006. We do hope that this year and the previous year Conferences will contribute significantly to the promotion of peace, stability and free of mass destruction weapons. I highly evaluate the Organizing Committee for their utmost efforts in mobilizing global solidarity force to fight against the danger of such weapons.

The Mass destruction of the atomic and hydrogen bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki has given a painful lesson for Japanese people as well as the peace-loving people around the world. Today, the development and stockpiling of the atomic and hydrogen bombs are still continuously being practiced in our world, which threatens the safety of human being and other livings in our planet. I hope that this conference will unify the solidarity force and persuade the peace-loving people to collaboratively fight against the development and stockpiling of such weapons in the concerned countries.

We, the Government and the people of the Lao PDR, will be side by side with the Japanese people and the peace-loving people in the world to defer the development and stockpiling of the atomic and hydrogen bombs. Likewise, we also strongly call for all countries in mass destruction weapons aiming at ceasing completely its further development.

I hope that through the unique solidarity of the delegates, this World Conference will be able to limit the mentioned weapons development and its stockpiling, which threaten peace, and will gradually eliminate them totally in the future.

May I finally extend my best wishes to the annual World Conference against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs 2006 a great success, and wish the participants of this conference good health and happiness.

Choummaly Sayasone
President
Lao People's Democratic Republic

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The following is the message from Ambassador of Canada to Japan Joseph Caron:

Thank you for your letter to Prime Minister Harper inviting him to send a message of solidarity with the 2006 World Conference Against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs and to send a representative to the conference.

I am pleased to note that I will be representing Canada at the ceremony commemorating 61st anniversary of the Atomic Bombing in Hiroshima on August 6. However, unfortunately, my schedule will not permit me to attend the World Conference Against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs itself.

As you will be aware, Canada's longstanding policy objective is the non-proliferation, reduction and elimination of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. Canada is pursuing this objective steadily, persistently and energetically, in a manner sensitive to the broader international security context.

Canada's approach to nuclear disarmament is based on the view that the most viable and practicable way forward is by a continuous step-by-step process to reduce and eliminate nuclear weapons through steadily advocating national, bilateral and multilateral measures. Canada has worked strenuously to promote and reinforce appropriate bilateral and multilateral efforts which, wither directly or indirectly, can provide the context for and contribute to constraining the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.

Canada pursues this policy in all for a, ranging from support for regional measures such as Nuclear Weapons Free Zones and the Treaty of Tlatelolco and practical assistance by the G-8 regarding the disposition of weapons-grade fissile material from dismantled warheads, to the strengthening of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and advocation of an Ad-hoc Committee in the Conference on Disarmament (CD) to discuss nuclear disarmament.

With this in mind, you will appreciate that Canada is very much in solidarity with the aims of your conference. I wish you and all those organizing this conference all the best of success.

Yours sincerely,

Joseph Caron
Ambassador of Canada
- Akahata, August 2, 2006