At the NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) Review Conference 2005, Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura of Japan made a speech on May 2, in which he elaborated Japan’s stance on disarmament and disarmnon-proliferation issues. As a way to strengthen the NPT, After emphasizing the essential role of the United Nations in tackling disarmament and non-proliferation and Japan’s determination “to play an ever more active role in a functionally reinforced United Nations” with its “Three Non-Nuclear Principles,” Machimura highlighted the following five points.
1. Regional Issues
Machimura called North Korea’s nuclear program “a serious challenge ” to the nuclear non-proliferation regime and “a direct threat ” to Japan and Northeast Asia. H e urged North Korea to dismantle all of its nuclear programs, including uranium enrichment, and to return to the Six-Party Talks without preconditions.
Machimura also urged Iran to reach an agreement with France, Germany, and the United Kingdom to en sure that its nuclear program is used exclusively for peaceful purposes .
The Foreign Minister emphasized the “paramount importance to correctly deal with regional issues,” with examples of North Korea, Iran, India, Pakistan and Israel. He also commended Libya’s decision to abandon its WMD programs and the establishment of a WMD-free zone in the Middle East.
2. Incremental Implementation of Practical Nuclear Disarmament Measures
On nuclear disarmament, Minister Machimura The Foreign Minister stating, “practical nuclear disarmament measures must be implemented incrementally, in order to realize a peaceful and safe world free of nuclear weapons,” specifically referred called for to the importance an early entry into force of ratifying of the CTBT (Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and the an early commencement of negotiations on the FMCT (Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT).
3. Universalization of the IAEA Additional Protocol
The Foreign Minister Machimura reiterated Japan’s strong belief that the universalization of the IAEA Additional Protocol is the most realistic and effective means to strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation regime.
4. Reinforcement of the Non-Proliferation Regime
As a means to reinforce the non-proliferation regime, The Foreign Minister Machimura stressed the importance of the emphasized the great value to “ reinforce the non-proliferation regime as a whole with proactive cooperation as many states as possible,” and introduced Japan’s participation in the PSI (Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) , and called for the sincere implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1 540).
5. Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy
While emphasizing the increasing importance of peaceful use of nuclear energy, Machimura The Foreign Minister stated that , “ while the peaceful use of nuclear energy is increasingly important, it must be carried out with the confidence of the international community,” and that “such confidence should be based upon the faithful fulfillment of NPT obligations and high transparency of nuclear activities.”
Foreign Minister Machimura closed his remarks by introducing a document he submitted, titled “Twenty-one Measures for the 21 st Century.” (http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/un/fmv0504/npt2.pdf), which includes concrete proposals for further strengthening the NPT.
The entire text of the speech can be found by clicking here.
[Related Links]
* Japan’s policy on Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation
|
