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2011 August 3 - 16 TOP3 [ANTI-N-ARMS]

World Conference against A & H Bombs calls for an immediate start of negotiations for a ban on N-arms

The International Meeting of the 2011 World Conference against A & H Bombs was held for three days from August 3 in Hiroshima City. The meeting adopted a declaration, calling for an immediate start of negotiations for an international convention to ban and eliminate nuclear weapons.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sent a message to the conference, which was delivered at the closing session of the international meeting by Sergio de Queiroz Duarte, UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs.

Pointing out that "the question how to achieve a 'nuclear weapons-free world' comes into sharp focus," the declaration stressed:

"We have been working around the world to urge the nuclear powers and all other governments to start negotiations for a nuclear weapons convention. By further developing these actions in cooperation with the U.N. and many national governments, let negotiations for the nuclear weapons convention begin immediately and be completed without delay."

Although international agreements reached to date should have been implemented, no significant progress has been made. Underlying this is the "nuclear deterrence" policy persisting among countries with nuclear weapons. The declaration says, "We reiterate our demand for a clean break from 'nuclear deterrence' policy by all nations."

The following actions are called for in the declaration:

- To develop many forms of actions, including the signature campaign for the “Appeal for a Total Ban on Nuclear Weapons";

- To develop campaigns and public support for the overcoming of the 'nuclear deterrence' policies;

- To strengthen activities for the relief, solidarity and support of the Hibakusha of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and all nuclear test and radiation victims worldwide, to avoid any more damage and suffering from radiation. To oppose military use of nuclear technology and demand an end to the reliance on nuclear energy and a shift to renewable energy sources.

In the three-day discussions, many participants emphasized that both nuclear weapons and nuclear power generation emit lethal radioactive substances and cause damage by radiation, and that they originated in the common demand for the military use of nuclear energy.

The International Meeting was participated in by about 250 people, including 88 foreign delegates from 25 countries.