Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2011 August 3 - 16 [ANTI-N-ARMS]

JCP Chair delivers speech at anti-nukes conference

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on August 7 delivered the following speech at the opening plenary of the World Conference against A&H Bombs in Nagasaki:

It is indeed my pleasure to have the opportunity to express my solidarity with all the participants in the World Conference against A & H Bombs again this year.

In May last year at the NPT Review Conference, an unanimous commitment was made to bring forth a “world without nuclear weapons.” During the past year, we witnessed this commitment being translated into concrete actions. I want to draw your attention to three important developments.

Firstly, at the U.N. General Assembly held last December, a resolution calling for a commencement of negotiations of a Nuclear Weapons Convention proposed by Malaysia and other countries was passed with the record number of yes votes by 133 countries. The Japanese government should be ashamed of its continuous abstention from this resolution. I demand the government to change its attitude to one worthy of the government representing the only A-bombed country in the world.

Secondly, the number of members of the organization Mayors for Peace, an organization campaigning for the elimination of nuclear weapons by 2020, increased significantly this year. It has now 4,892 member cities in 151 countries.

Thirdly, a signature campaign was started internationally since this February, calling on governments to start negotiations on a convention banning nuclear weapons.

I believe the surest way to bring about a world without nuclear weapons is to strengthen and widen the collective efforts by the United Nations, national governments, municipalities, and grassroots NGOs. At this World Conference, we received a message of support from the U.N. Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon. We have in attendance today Mr. Sergio Duarte, U.N. high representative for Disarmament, as well as the mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And many representatives of grassroots NGOs from abroad are with us here today. Only united efforts of such solidarity will lead us to establish a nuclear-weapons-free world. The JCP is determined to shoulder our share of responsibility in this crucial endeavor.

As we experience one of the worst nuclear plant accidents in history, a movement aiming for a Japan without nuclear power plants is gaining momentum. What is the relationship between a movement for a world without nuclear weapons and a movement for a Japan without nuclear power plants?

The World Conference against A & H Bombs has developed cooperation among various participants from Japan and abroad based on common demands, such as the total elimination of nuclear weapons and unqualified support for Hibakushas. On the other hand, the movement for a Japan without nuclear power plants is a movement aiming for a nationwide joint action based on the single demand of permanently shutting down all nuclear power stations in Japan. These two movements share an important common ground. Both share the belief that we must not create nuclear victims in any form. I think it is important that both movements develop independently around the core demands agreed upon in each movement, and at the same time promote solidarity with each other based on their shared goal of protecting humanity from the creation of nuclear victims.

In this context, it is highly significant that the declaration of the international meeting adopted on 5th August is focusing on concrete actions aiming for a world without nuclear weapons while simultaneously expressing solidarity with the movement demanding a break from reliance on nuclear power.

Let us together make every effort to realize a world without nuclear weapons and bring forth as soon as possible a commencement of negotiations of a Nuclear Weapons Convention!