Phnom Penh Declaration calls for negotiations for nuclear-free world

Japan Press Weekly

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Phnom Penh Declaration calls for negotiations for nuclear-free world

The 6th General Assembly of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties in Cambodia on December 3 unanimously adopted the Phnom Penh Declaration in support of negotiations for achieving a world without nuclear weapons.

The declaration reflects the proposal regarding the elimination of nuclear weapons made by the Japanese Communist Party.

As principles to ensure the peace, security, stability, and prosperity of the Asian region, the declaration states: Sovereignty and territorial integrity of every state; Right to determine its own political, economic and social system of every state; Non-aggression and non-interference in each other's internal affairs; Peaceful settlement of territorial disputes and adherence to international treaties and laws; Arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; and Rejection of every kind of extremism, prejudice or bigotry.

The declaration further states, "We support in particular the international agreement that ‘all States need to make special efforts to establish the necessary framework to achieve and maintain a world without nuclear weapons,' as stated in the final Document unanimously adopted in 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, as well as the United Nations Secretary General's five point proposal which includes negotiations on a nuclear weapons convention."

This statement is incorporated into the declaration based on the JCP proposal on the declaration draft that JCP Chair Shii Kazuo on November 22 sent to Mushahid Hussain Sayed, chair of the drafting committee.

In the proposal, Shii called on Sayed to incorporate the following sentences in order to strengthen the declaration: "We support the international agreement that ‘all States need to make special efforts to establish the necessary framework to achieve and maintain a world without nuclear weapons, as stated in the Final Document unanimously adopted in the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, as well as the United Nations General Secretary's five point proposal which includes negotiations on a nuclear weapons convention. We reiterate our call for further efforts to achieve a world without nuclear weapons."

- Akahata, December 4, 2010