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Meetings on Nuclear Disarmament and Non-proliferation: Japan and Australia Launch a New Initiative, etc.

September 24, 2010

The 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in May adopted the Final Document concerning nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Aiming to further enhance the momentum for the realization of a world without nuclear weapons, Japan played a major role in the following three meetings on the occasion of the United Nations General Assembly in September, including a Foreign Ministers' meeting on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation co-hosted by Japan and Australia.

1. Foreign Ministers' meeting on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation (co-hosted by Japan and Australia)

On September 22, Japan and Australia co-hosted a Foreign Ministers' meeting on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. Ten countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Canada, Chili, Mexico, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), participated.

The participants unanimously adopted the Joint Statement by Foreign Ministers, which elaborates the resolve of participating countries to (i) steadily implement the agreement at the 2010 NPT Review Conference and (ii) conduct high-level discussions on a realistic proposal regarding a mid/long-term direction in the field of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation in an effort to advance work on concrete and practical measures for a world of decreased nuclear risk as a milestone on the path towards realizing a world without nuclear weapons.

Mr. Seiji Maehara (co-chair), Foreign Minister of Japan, stressed the importance for this cross-regional new group to work to (i) reduce the number of nuclear weapons and diminish their role and (ii) address issues such as the immediate commencement of negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT). He furthermore expressed his wish to set a direction in which the new group should advance towards the second Foreign Ministers meeting to be held next year, in such a form as an action plan. Rather than competing with existing groups, the new group is to pursue their efforts with an open and inclusive approach in cooperation with other nations.

2. Fifth CTBT Ministerial Meeting

On September 23, Japan, together with other co-hosting nations, held the fifth Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) Ministerial meeting. The 72 participating nations adopted the Joint Ministerial Statement on the CTBT, in which the Foreign Ministers called upon all States that had not yet done so, the Annex 2 States in particular, to sign and ratify the Treaty without delay, and stressed the importance of continuing a moratorium on nuclear weapon tests.

Foreign Minister Maehara emphasized that (i) the CTBT is not only an indispensible building block to support the NPT regime, but also an important measure to guide those non-NPT signatories into the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime and (ii) political leaders of all the Annex 2 States should exert their leadership for early signatures and ratification of the Treaty and a moratorium on nuclear testing should be continuously observed pending its entry into force.

Japan holds in high regard the demonstration of political will on the early entry into force of the CTBT, as exemplified by the participation in the meeting of the United States and Iraq, which have yet to ratify the Treaty, and their support for the Joint Ministerial Statement. Japan intends to continue its efforts for the early entry into force of the Treaty.

3. High-level Meeting on Revitalizing the Work of the Conference on Disarmament and Taking Forward Multilateral DisarmamentNegotiations

On September 24, the Secretary-General of the United Nations convened the High-level Meeting on "Revitalizing the Work of the Conference on Disarmament and Taking Forward Multilateral Disarmament Negotiations," following which the Chair's Summary was announced, including concrete suggestions by the Secretary-General.

Foreign Minister Maehara (i) strongly called for the immediate commencement of negotiations on an FMCT and the declaration and maintenance of a moratorium on the production of fissile materials for weapon purposes and (ii) made Japan's position clear that a certain deadline must be set for discussions in the Conference on Disarmament (CD); any failure in making progress would require the exploration of alternative paths; and if there is no emerging prospect of launching negotiations on an FMCT within the CD, Japan, together with like-minded countries, is ready to take the initiative to provide a venue for the negotiations.

Japan commends that participants at the foreign-minister level of many UN Member States, including members of the CD, have called for the early start of substantive work, including the commencement of negotiations on an FMCT, and demonstrated in a concerted manner political will to achieve a breakthrough in the stagnation in negotiations at the CD. Japan believes that the outcome of the meeting will lead to the advancement of the CD going forward.