The 2000 NPT Review
Conference (RevCon)
14 April - 19 May 2000, New York
PERMANENT
MISSION OF JAPAN TO THE UNITED NATIONS
STATEMENT
BY H. E. MR. ICHITA YAMAMOTO
STATE
SECRETARY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF JAPAN
AT
THE 2000 NPT REVIEW CONFERENCE
New
York, April 24, 2000
Mr. President,
Mr. Secretary-General,
Distinguished delegates,
On
behalf of the Government and people of Japan, I have the honor to
extend to you, Mr. President, my heartfelt congratulations on your
assumption of the presidency of the NPT Review Conference. The
Japanese delegation will spare no effort to cooperate with you as you
discharge your important duties.
In
his statement at the previous NPT Review and Extension Conference in
1995, Foreign Minister Yohei Kono urged the representatives of the
countries assembled there "to consider and assess the roles which
the NPT has played in the areas of non-proliferation of nuclear
weapons, nuclear disarmament and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy,
not only from the standpoint of our respective countries, but also
from the perspective of the future of humankind and of the planet on
which we live.” Minister Kono also stated that, "with concern
over nuclear proliferation greater than ever before, it is essential
to ensure that the basic framework of nuclear non-proliferation is as
strong as possible". With this statement, Japan expressed its
resolute support for the indefinite extension of the Treaty.
The NPT has made a tremendous contribution to
international peace and security. I believe the indefinite extension
of the Treaty and Japan's decision to support it were the right choice
both for the international community as a whole and for Japan. Since
then, the universality of the Treaty has been enhanced by the
accession of nine additional countries for a total of 187 States
Parties.
Mr. President,
At
the NPT Review and Extension Conference in 1995, decisions were taken
on "strengthening the review process for the Treaty", and on
the "Principles and Objectives for nuclear non-proliferation and
disarmament", and the resolution on the Middle East was adopted.
It was also decided to extend the Treaty indefinitely. These
achievements gave the international community a reason to hope that
concrete measures for nuclear non‑proliferation and disarmament
would be taken through the active and concerted efforts of all the
States Parties, especially the nuclear weapon states. This hope was
bolstered when the United States and Russia agreed upon deep
reductions of strategic nuclear warheads at their bilateral summit
meeting in Helsinki in 1997, and when both France and the United
Kingdom made unilateral decisions to reduce their respective nuclear
arsenals. There has been other encouraging progress including the
adoption of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) in 1996.
Recently,
however, nuclear non-proliferation has clearly suffered a setback due
to several events, namely, the nuclear tests conducted in South Asia;
the delay in the CTBT's entry-into-force even after three and a half
years since it was opened for signature; the failure to commence the
Cut-Off treaty negotiations despite the agreement to do so at the
Geneva Conference on Disarmament in 1995; and, the launching of
missiles by several countries.
The
report of the Tokyo Forum which was organized at the initiative of the
Japanese Government and in which world-renowned experts participated,
summarized the current adverse trends by stating that nuclear
non-proliferation was "under siege".
In
the face of these unfavorable circumstances, this Review Conference is
all the more important. In spite of the end of the Cold War which
showed the promise of a bright future for humankind, whether the last
decade of the twentieth century ends leaving us in this unstable
situation or gives us hope for the twenty-first century depends
entirely upon our own wisdom and our own will. We are therefore
required to orchestrate our efforts to fulfill that promise. This
meeting is the first Review Conference since the OPT was indefinitely
extended, and is considered a touchstone as to whether the NPT can
preserve and even enhance its credibility and its universality.
Japan
therefore strongly reaffirms the need for the early realization of the
Principles and Objectives that were decided on in 1995.
I
cannot but note, with regret, that these objectives have not been
fully achieved; indeed, they are not even being achieved. Taking into
account the developments that have occurred in the past five years,
Japan intends to make a proposal to the States Parties on several
specific points which are essential to the full and expeditious
implementation of the Principles and Objectives of 1995 and to full
compliance with the NPT.
In
order to maintain and consolidate the NPT regime, it is also important
to strengthen the review process for the Treaty in accordance with the
1995 decision. In light of the failure of the Preparatory Committee to
achieve satisfactory results in the course of three meetings, I would
like to call for a discussion of ways in which the work of the
Preparatory Committee could be made more effective. Japan will present
a specific proposal on this issue as well.
Mr. President,
As
the sole country to have suffered the devastating effects of atomic
bombings, Japan's policy to promote nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation
was originally motivated by the harsh experiences of Hiroshima and
Nagasaki.
Japan's
commitment to the NPT is vehemently and overwhelmingly supported by
the Japanese people. The Treaty in fact is a basis of Japan's national
security. In 1994, Japan introduced to the United Nations General
Assembly a resolution calling for "nuclear disarmament with a
view to the ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons", and every
year since then, the resolution has been adopted by an overwhelming
majority, including the nuclear weapon states. This demonstrates that
the ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons has been accepted around
the globe as a common goal of humankind.
The
most basic objective of this Conference is to have all the States
Parties renew their commitment to the NPT and reaffirm their
unwavering determination to make step-by-step progress toward the
elimination of nuclear weapons.
Mr.
President,
The
nuclear tests conducted by India and Pakistan in May 1998 awakened the
world to the reality that nuclear proliferation had reached a new and
dangerous stage. These nuclear tests not only altered qualitatively
the security landscape in South Asia but also posed a grave threat to
the NPT regime which has been a cornerstone of the international
security for the past thirty years. I would like to stress that these
tests cannot be condoned. The tests by India and Pakistan underscored
the need to redouble the global effort to make the nuclear non-proliferation
regime more effective. First of all, we, as States Parties to the NPT,
should call upon those states which have not yet acceded to the Treaty
to do so at the earliest date possible. It is also important to ensure
full compliance with the Treaty by all the States Parties. This will
require that the IAEA full-scope safeguards be accepted in all
respects by all the states concerned, and that the universality of the
additional protocol to strengthen the safeguards be increased. Japan,
having taken the lead in concluding this additional protocol, now
calls upon other countries to accept it at an early date.
Mr.
President,
Acceptance
of the indefinite extension of the APT by all the States Parties has
made the responsibility of the nuclear weapon States to advance
nuclear disarmament as stipulated in Article VI of the Treaty, all the
more significant. It is only natural that those States that have
abandoned forever the option of possessing nuclear weapons demand that
the nuclear weapon States make more vigorous disarmament efforts.
Japan recognizes the difficulty of pursuing disarmament while
maintaining strategic stability in a dramatically changing security
environment with rapid missile proliferation. Having said this,
however, we call upon the nuclear weapon States to faithfully take the
following measures, taking into account their special responsibility.
First,
Japan welcomes Russia's recent ratification of START II as an
encouraging step, and calls upon it and the United States to commence
negotiations on START III at the earliest date possible, while working
for the full implementation of START II. Indeed, we encourage them to
continue their efforts to take deeper reductions in their nuclear
warheads beyond START III. Second, Japan highly evaluates the
unilateral reductions in nuclear weapons by France and the United
Kingdom. In addition, Japan believes it important to ensure these
reductions by the nuclear weapon states are irreversible. Third, as
long as the U. S.-Russia nuclear disarmament process continues, the
other nuclear weapon States should further reduce, or, at least
refrain from building up their nuclear arsenals. I strongly hope that
the five nuclear weapon States will build upon the progress that has
been made so far and enter into nuclear disarmament talks at an early
date.
Mr.
President,
I
would next like to touch upon the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban
Treaty (CTBT) and a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty, two important
pillars of the APT regime.
Japan
chaired the Conference on Facilitating the Entry-into-Force of the
CTBT held in Vienna last October, and has taken the initiative of
sending high-level missions to the countries that have not yet
ratified or even signed the Treaty in order to persuade them to do so
as early as possible. Japan has also urged like-minded countries to
take concerted actions on this issue. I myself visited the United
States, India, and Pakistan last October, and China last February, and
had the honor of meeting ministers and senior officials of those
countries to ask for the early ratification of the CTBT. Global
efforts on this matter have been rewarded with the recent
ratifications by Lithuania, Turkey, Bangladesh, the former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia, and Chile, and, in addition, Russian Duma's
adoption of the bill for the CTBT ratification last week. Japan highly
appreciates their decisions. Though it is already more than three and
a half years since the CTBT was opened for signature, key countries,
including the United States and China, have not yet ratified it. Early
ratification by those countries is crucial. In addition, Japan calls
for the continued moratorium on nuclear tests pending the
entry-into-force of this treaty.
Inasmuch
as a Cut-Off Treaty is expected to become another important pillar of
the APT regime, it is extremely regrettable that there is little
prospect for the commencement of negotiations on it, despite the
agreement at the Conference on Disarmament in 1995. All the countries
concerned are required to show maximum flexibility and a spirit of
cooperation and compromise so that the negotiations at the Conference
on Disarmament can begin without further delay. I also devoutly hope
that all the nuclear weapon States and the countries that have not
accepted the IAEA full-scope safeguards will observe a moratorium on
the production of Missile material for nuclear weapons.
Mr. President,
Japan
has promoted the development and use of nuclear energy in order to
secure a stable energy supply and to reduce the level of greenhouse
gas emissions. In this context, Japan has committed itself to maintain
as far as possible transparency in its nuclear fuel cycle policy,
particularly, in its use of plutonium.
In
the field of peaceful uses of nuclear energy, international
cooperation in accordance with the NET should be further expanded
among the States Parties. Japan is actively engaged in international
cooperative efforts. For instance, it extends financial and technical
support to developing countries through Technical Cooperation Fund and
the Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research and Development and
Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology, both of which are
under the aegis of the IAEA.
To
enhance such international cooperation both qualitatively and
quantitatively, it is important to erase all fears of nuclear
proliferation by further strengthening the international non-proliferation
regime. The Additional Protocol to the Safeguards Agreement must be
accepted by all the nations which are committed to promoting the
peaceful uses of nuclear energy. To our regret, however, only eight
countries, including Japan, have ratified the Additional Protocol to
date.
The
work to integrate the strengthened safeguards under the Additional
Protocol into the current safeguards under the NET needs to be
accelerated. Concrete steps must therefore be taken to promote the
universal acceptance of the Additional Protocol. I would like to take
this opportunity to propose that an international action plan be
developed toward that end.
Mr. President,
The
twentieth century which witnessed the two world wars of unprecedented
destructiveness, is now coming to an end. However, it seems that our
critical task of eliminating the nuclear weapons that were produced in
the twentieth century will be passed on to the twenty-first century.
Determined to ensure that nuclear weapons will never be used again,
Japan, the only country to have suffered atomic bombings, has held
fast to its three non-nuclear principles of not possessing nuclear
weapons, not producing them, and not permitting their introduction
into Japan. With a new century just around the corner, Japan will
continue to contribute to world peace and prosperity by working
relentlessly for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation with the
ultimate goal of achieving a world free of nuclear weapons. But,
Japan's efforts must be coordinated with those of the entire
international community if they are to bear fruit. I therefore
strongly appeal to all the countries represented here today to unite
under a common banner, and work for the enhancement of international
security by maintaining and strengthening the NPT regime and for the
ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons.
Thank you very much.
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