Japan Press Weekly

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2017 March 22 - 28 [PEACE]

Shii and NGOs in NYC affirm common goal of nuclear weapons ban

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo had a series of talks with members of anti-nuke NGOs in New York City as part of efforts to add momentum to public movements for a nuclear weapons ban treaty. Shii is visiting the U.S. to join the UN conference to negotiate a Nuclear Weapons Convention.

On March 25, Shii met with Joseph Gerson of the American Friends Service Committee. Shii said that the UN conference is epoch-making as its success in reaching a NWC will make nuclear weapons illegal. Shii stressed, “If a legal ban on nuclear weapons comes into existence and world’s anti-nuke peace movements join forces, it will pave the way for the total elimination of nuclear weapons.”

Gerson agreed with Shii’s reasoning. He mentioned that in June when the second session of the UN conference will take place, hundreds of thousands of people will gather around the UN headquarters office building and other locations to demand a legal ban of nuclear weapons.

Shii on the same day had talks with International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) Executive Director Beatrice Fihn. The international network of NGOs from around 100 countries was established in 2007 to realize a NWC.

In the meeting, Shii summarized a petition that he handed to UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Kim Won-soo on the previous day. The JCP chair said that the petition emphasizes the need for an early conclusion of a NWC. Shii added that parties to the conference should sign the treaty even if nuclear weapons states refuse to join. He went on to say that anti-nuke activists should work to make good use of a NWC to realize a nuclear free world.

Fihn in reply said that although nuclear weapons states keep refusing to take part in the conference, they are paying close attention to the talks because they are aware that they are losing ground.

On March 26, Shii met with Alyn Ware, Global Coordinator of the Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (PNND). Shii also belongs to the organization and will attend the UN conference as a member of the PNND delegation. The meeting was joined by PNND Co-President Linda Duncan (New Democratic Party, Canada) and PNND Ex-officio Council member Jonathan Granoff (Global Security Institute President, U.S.).

Shii pointed out that the PNND is the only international network of parliamentarians promoting nuclear disarmament. He noted that as he represents a political party in the only A-bombed nation of Japan, he feels a strong sense of responsibility to make efforts to bring about a success of the historic UN conference.

Alyn expressed his gratitude to the JCP for dispatching its chair to the UN conference. Duncan noted that she knows very well of JCP’s long years of efforts to create a nuclear free world. Granoff said that the JCP’s petition is to the point and very well stated.