Disarmament and Non-Proliferation

World War II brought so much suffering to many people throughout the world. Determined to renounce war in order not to repeat the devastation war brings, Japan has adopted a peace constitution, under which it maintains only the minimum necessary self-defense capability. In that spirit, Japan also promotes global disarmament. Moreover, as the only country to have suffered atomic bombing, it strictly upholds its three non-nuclear principles-not possessing, producing or introducing unclear weapons into its territory-and is making efforts to promote pragmatic and steady nuclear disarmament toward a world free of nuclear weapons.

Foreign Minister IKEDA with Ambassador PAMAKAR, chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee on Nudlear Test Ban, in June 1996.

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1995 U.N. Resolution on Nuclear Disarmament and Nuclear Testing

Japan submitted in 1995 the resolution on nuclear disarmament with a view to the ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons to the 50th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, following the adoption of a resolution of the same title in 1994. It was adopted by the overwhelming majority of Member States (154 in favor, 0 opposed and 10 abstaining). Bearing in mind the developments during 1994-1995 in the field of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, the 1995 resolution calls upon the nuclear-weapon States to make efforts to reduce nuclear weapons with the ultimate goal of their elimination, and asks them to keep Member States of the United Nations duly informed of the progress of nuclear disarmament. The adoption of this resolution with the endorsement of many Member States, as was the case in 1994, is a clear indication that there is broad-based understanding in the international community of Japan's position that it is important to make steady efforts for nuclear disarmament in a realistic and determined manner with the goal of achieving a world free of nuclear weapons. It also indicates that the importance of efforts for nuclear disarmament after the indefinite extension of the NPT was decided.

In addition, in order to make clear the determination of the international community to demand the cessation of nuclear testing and to create an atmosphere favorable for advancing the negotiations on the CTBT, Japan, together with the forty other states, submitted the draft resolution calling for the immediate cessation of nuclear testing to the 50th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations. This resolution was adopted with the support of many Member States.

The Importance of Sustaining the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Framework

With the end of the Cold War, the international community faces critical problems over the transfer and spread of nuclear weapons. Preventing more states from joining the nuclear weapons club is crucial in ensuring world peace and security. The NPT has 182 signatory states, the greatest number party to any treaty related to disarmament. Since 1970 when it entered into force, the treaty has functioned as the most important pillar in the international framework to prevent proliferation of nuclear arms. As mentioned previously in the U.N. resolution, Japan urges all non-signatory countries to accede to the NPT as soon as possible in order to make the treaty more universal.

NPT Member States held a conference in April and May 1995 to decide how long to extend the treaty. Japan welcomes the decision made by the conference to extend the Treaty indefinitely as well as the adoption of two decisions which indicate the future course of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. This fact demonstrates eloquently that the views of Japan and those of the international community are in accord. Japan will continue to urge all nuclear-weapons states to further reduce their nuclear arsenals.

Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban: The Need for Early Conclusion

Negotiations on a CTBT began in January 1994 at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, and are going on intensively. The Review and Extension Conference of the Parties to the NPT decided to aim for the completion of those negotiations no later than 1996. In his September 1995 Statement at the 50th Session of the General Assembly, Foreign Minister Kono proposed to sign the treaty in the fall of 1996. Japan has been making its utmost efforts to achieve these goals.

As a result of the two-and-half years of intensive negotiation, in June 1996, Ambassador Ramakar, Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee on Nuclear Test Ban, presented a draft text of CTBT. However, during the third session which began at the end of July 1996, consensus on the text was not reached despite the support expressed by most participating countries.

Japan sincerely hopes that as many countries as possible unite their efforts to let that text be adopted at U.N. General Assembly so that the CTBT will be open for signature in this fall as it was envisaged in the United Nations resolution of last year. Japan, for its part, is determined to do everything to realize the goal of concluding CTBT. (written on August 27).

Transparency of Conventional Arms Transfers and Combating Small Arms Problem

The unfettered transfer and the excessive accumulation of conventional weapons are other destabilizing factors in many regions of the world. In civil wars we have witnessed in certain regions of Africa and elsewhere, for example, this has resulted in the escalation of combat and enormous loss of life.

As a result of an initiative from Japan and the EU member nations, the U.N. Register of Conventional Arms was launched in January 1992 in order to improve the transparency and openness of arms transfers. This measure has become increasingly important in building confidence at the global level.

As of July 1996, 93 countries have reported arms transfer date for 1994. Japan has played a major role to ensure smooth operation of this system. The Government of Japan, for instance, sponsored and Asia-Pacific Workshop on the U.N. Register of Conventional Arms in June 1993 to promote understanding and participation among countries of the region.

Moreover, realizing that the excessive accumulation of small arms such as auto rifle has been one of the causes of local conflicts and civil wars, Japan submitted a resolution on small arms to the 50th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, having it adopted. According to this resolution, a panel group of qualified governmental experts was established under the Secretary-General of the United Nations to consider the general measures for the small arms' issue. The first meeting was held in June 1996 with Mr. Donowaki, Ambassador and special assistant to the Minister for Foreign Affairs as the chairman. The panel intends to have two additional meetings and submit a report to the 52nd Session of the General Assembly of United Nations in 1997.

Elimination of Weapons of Mass Destruction

Japan's effort on arms reduction is not limited to institution-building and the strengthening of existing international frameworks. The Government of Japan is also actively involved in the actual elimination of weapons of mass destruction through cooperation with the countries concerned. It has, for instance, provided approximately US$100 million to support the destruction of nuclear weapons in the former Soviet states and, by March 1994, concluded framework agreements separately with Russia, Belarus, the Ukraine and Kazakhstan-four states where Soviet nuclear weapons were deployed-for the implementation of this aid program. At present, Japan is working on specific programs in connection with this aid program by, among other things, making use of its know-how in the peaceful uses of nuclear power.

With respect to the UNSCOM, the United Nations Special Commission responsible for removing the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and missiles, Japan contributed US$2.5 million at its inception in 1991 and US$1 million additionally in 1996, and also provides personnel to carry out its work.

U.N. Conference on Disarmament Issues in Japan

The U.N. Conference on Disarmament Issues has been held in Japan every year since 1989: three times in Kyoto and in Hiroshima, and once in Nagasaki and in Sendai respectively. The conference last met in Hiroshima in July this year. Participants include senior government officials and ambassadors, mostly from the Asia-Pacific region, as well as non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other representatives from Japan and abroad. There have been spirited discussions at each conference and they have provided a major stimulus to deliberations on arms control and disarmament at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva and at the United Nations.

History of Nuclear Disarmament

Measures to Deal with Anti-personnel Land Mines

Recognizing that it is essential for the international community to address the issue of anti-personnel land mines, which are abandoned in conflict areas around the world since they were located during the conflicts, Japan is committed to strengthening its efforts in the following four aspects:

• strengthening the mine-clearance activities of international agencies with the United Nations as the center of coordination;
• promoting the development of new technologies for land mine detection and clearance;
• enhancing international collaboration on the regulation of anti-personnel land mines; and
• strengthening international assistance for the rehabilitation of land mine victims.

Concerning the regulation of anti-personnel land mines, Japan appreciates the agreement on the amendment of the Protocol on mines, body-traps and other devices made at the Review Conference of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons in May, which has led to strengthening the regulation of the use and the transfer of anti-personnel land mines.

Furthermore, Japan believes that the global regulation should be strengthened more generally in order to prevent the indiscriminate use of anti-personnel land mines. From this point of view, Japan has determined to take voluntary actions concerning the use of anti-personnel land mines, while positively supporting the efforts towards global and comprehensive ban including the production and storage of them. Japan has stated this attitude at the Lyon Summit, and strongly desires that similar movement will spread over the world.

Regarding the other three aspects, the Government of Japan has contributed more than $20 million to the mine-clearing activities of the United Nations in Cambodia, Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina and elsewhere, as well as $2 million in Mine Clearance in 1996.

Furthermore, underscoring the need to enhance U.N.-based international cooperation for this issue, the Prime Minister of Japan, Ryutaro Hashimoto, proposed convening an international conference to discuss this three-pronged effort in Tokyo early in 1997.

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