Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Technology

1. At April 28 at 4:00 a.m. (April 27, 3:00 p.m., New York time), Mr. Fumio Kishida, Minister for Foreign Affairs, attended the 2015 Review Conference for the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) at the United Nations Headquarters, and gave a general statement (English (PDF) / Japanese (PDF)).

2. In his opening remarks, Foreign Minister Kishida expressed his deepest condolences to the victims of the massive earthquake in Nepal and their families. He then stated his determination as a foreign minister from Hiroshima, the site of the atomic bombing, to achieve progress towards a world free of nuclear weapons with thoughts of the bombed cities in mind. Moreover, within the same statement he requested that nuclear-weapon States and non-nuclear-weapon States take joint actions and both be united to achieve the ideal of a world free of nuclear weapons, and pledged that Japan would strive toward (1) transparency of nuclear force, (2) deeper reduction of all types of nuclear weapons and eventual multilateralization of nuclear weapons reduction negotiations, (3) common recognition of the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons and the unity of the international community to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons, (4) visits to Hiroshima and Nagasaki by political leaders and youth, and (5)resolving regional nuclear proliferation issues.

3. In addition, on the same day Minister Kishida attended the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Appeal Assembly, which was held by the Mayors for Peace, he expressed again his determination and responsibility for conveying the tragedies of use of nuclear weapons across generations and borders.