Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation
Courtesy Call on Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. FUKAZAWA Yoichi by the participants of the United Nations Programme of Fellowships on Disarmament
September 29, 2023
On Friday, September 29, Mr. FUKAZAWA Yoichi, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, received a courtesy call from 25 participants (including two United Nations staff members) of the United Nations Programme of Fellowships on Disarmament. An overview of the courtesy call is as follows.
- At the outset, Parliamentary Vice-Minister Fukazawa stated that Japan ha accepted young diplomats and others who participate in this program every year since 1983. He welcomed the participants to Japan, and expressed his wish to steadily take realistic and practical efforts toward a world without nuclear weapons with both of nuclear-weapon States (NWS) and non-nuclear-weapon States (N-NWS). Parliamentary Vice-Minister Fukazawa also stated that it is important to convey the realitiesof nuclear weapons use to the world as the starting point of all efforts toward nuclear disarmament, and that he is convinced that this visit to Japan will provide an opportunity for programme participants to work towards nuclear disarmament.
- In response, the participants expressed their gratitude to the Government of Japan and stated that they are looking forward to visiting Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They expressed their hope to deepen their understanding of the realities of nuclear weapons use through this visit.
- Finally, Parliamentary Vice-Minister Fukazawa stated that it is essential to steadily proceed with the decommissioning of TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station to promote recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake. He stated that the Government of Japan has been strengthening its efforts on the discharge of ALPS treated water into the sea and asked for continued understanding.
(Reference) The UN Disarmament Fellowship
A United Nations program for training disarmament experts in developing countries. Implementation was decided at the First Special Sessions of the General Assembly devoted to Disarmament in 1978, targeting young diplomats and defense officials from various countries. Every year, participants visit international organizations and countries related to disarmament and non-proliferation including Japan.