Press Releases

1. On October 28, at around 5:42, (October 27 16:42 p.m. local time), the draft resolution “United action with renewed determination towards the total elimination of nuclear weapons,” submitted by Japan to the First Committee of the United Nation (UN) General Assembly, was adopted with the support of 144 countries including 77 co-sponsored countries. Co-sponsored countries include nuclear-weapon States, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, and 86 states that supported the adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The draft resolution is scheduled to be put on a vote in a plenary meeting of the UN General Assembly in early December.

2. In addition to the worsening international security environment including an unprecedented, grave and imminent threat posed by North Korea’s nuclear and missile development, we are currently facing the divergent differences in position as to the way to advance nuclear disarmament not only between nuclear-weapon States and non-nuclear-weapon States, but also among non-nuclear-weapon States due to their respective security environment of each state. This year’s draft resolution aims at providing a common ground which enables all states, including nuclear-weapon States and states confronting security threats, to renew their commitment towards nuclear disarmament, by rebuilding trust among all states and bridging gaps among states with different positions, in order to make substantive progress of nuclear disarmament even under such severe circumstances. I feel encouraged that the draft resolution was adopted with a wide spread support including nuclear-weapon-States and the countries in favor of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

3. Japan will continue to devote its every effort to make steady progress to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons.