Press Releases
Statement by the Minister for Foreign Affairs on the Adoption of Japan’s Draft Resolution on Nuclear Disarmament at the First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly
1. At 01:20 on November 5 (11:20 on November 4, New York time), the draft resolution on nuclear disarmament entitled “United action toward the total elimination of nuclear weapons” that Japan submitted to the First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly on October 17 was adopted.
2. The Resolution was jointly submitted by 102 co-sponsor states, and it was adopted with an overwhelming majority of approvals, numbering 164. While Japan has submitted similar resolutions since 1994, this is the first time that the number of co-sponsor states has exceeded 100. The resolution will be put to a vote at the United Nations General Assembly in early December.
3. The following elements, which Japan contributes to further boosting international momentum toward achieving “a world free of nuclear weapons” are included in this resolution.
(1) In order to steadily implement the Action Plan agreed upon at the Review Conference for the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in May 2010, united action by the international community is necessary.
(2) The catastrophic humanitarian consequences that would result from the use of nuclear weapons should be fully understood, and efforts should be made to increase such understanding.
(3) The international community strongly condemns the nuclear test by North Korea in February this year, and urges North Korea not to conduct any further nuclear tests, to comply fully the commitments under the 2005 Joint Statement of the Six-Party Talks, as well as the obligations of relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
4. The Government of Japan will continue to play a leading role in efforts by the international community to realize “a world free of nuclear weapons” through this and other initiatives.
[Reference] Results related to recent adoption of resolution
Approvals: 164, oppositions: 1 (North Korea), abstentions: 14 (Brazil, China, Ecuador, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, Mauritius, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Syria, Uganda, Zimbabwe)
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