July 12, 2023

Akahata editorial (excerpts)

The 2023 World Conference against A and H Bombs will be held in August in the A-bombed cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Following the international meeting on August 4 and 5, the Hiroshima Day rally will take place on August 6 and the Nagasaki Day rally on August 7-9. The World Conference next month will capture a lot of attention both at home and abroad as the G7 Hiroshima Summit in May issued a statement whose failure to call for the elimination of nuclear weapons drew widespread disappointment and criticism.

Concerns are growing globally under a situation in which Russia’s Putin administration issues nuclear threats in the ongoing Ukraine war; the U.S., the U.K., and France stick to nuclear deterrence policy; North Korea repeatedly launches ballistic missiles; and China increases the number of its nuclear warheads. On top of this, negotiations on nuclear disarmament are not forthcoming.

Despite this, global antinuke and peace movements are gaining momentum. The number of state parties and signatories to the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) reached 68 and 92, respectively.

This year’s World Conference will be attended by representatives of overseas antinuke groups, the UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, and government representatives from Austria and Mexico, host countries of the first and second TPNW meetings, as well as from Malaysia which plays a leading role in the non-aligned movement. It is necessary to make this year’s World Conference an occasion to promote collaboration between world’s governments and civil society for the elimination of nuclear weapons.

The number of local assemblies adopting resolutions and statements calling for Japan’s participation in the TPNW stood at 659, accounting for 37% of all local assemblies in Japan.

It is also necessary to use this year’s World Conference as an opportunity to put more pressure on the Japanese government to decide to ratify and sign the TPNW.

Past related articles:
> 37% of all 1,788 local assemblies in Japan call for Japan's participation in UN no-nuke treaty [July 6 & 7, 2023]
> JCP Chair: It is unacceptable for G7 Summit to declare adherence to nuclear deterrence doctrine in A-bombed city of Hiroshima [May 21, 2023]