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2022 January 5 - 11 TOP3 [POLITICS]

JCP Chair Shii comments on joint statement of 5 N-weapon states

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo in his comment on the joint statement issued by the leaders of the five nuclear-weapon states on January 3 said, "On the whole, they remain steadfast in continuing to possess nuclear weapons while claiming that they will fulfill their obligation under Article 6 of the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) to eliminate them."

At a press conference in the Diet building on January 6, Shii noted that the U.S., the U.K., France, China, and Russia (P5) in their joint statement do not denounce the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in contrast to their last year's joint statement. He said, "The overwhelming majority of the global public welcomes the entry into force of the TPNW and an increasing number of countries have signed and ratified this treaty. Under these circumstances, the P5 are being cornered and can no longer denounce the TPNW."

Shii took note of the fact that the P5 countries in their joint statement commit themselves to pursue negotiations in good faith on nuclear disarmament as stipulated in Article 6 of the NPT, and added, "I hope they will make sincere efforts to enforce what they agreed upon at the NPT Review Conference in 2000 and 2010."

The first Conference of State Parties to the TPNW will take place this year. Germany and Norway, NATO members, will participate in the conference as observers. Reportedly, the NPT Review Conference, which was postponed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will be held this year.

Shii said, "With these two opportunities, I will do my best so that the international community shares the common recognition of the inhumanity of nuclear weapons."

Past related articles:
> Shii issues letter of request to 10th NPT Review Conference [December 28, 2021]
> JCP chair presses Japan to follow Germany’s example and observe N-ban talks [November 26, 2021]