"Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty" To start a new initiative to encourage the Japanese government to participate

"Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty" To start a new initiative to encourage the Japanese government to participate October 24, 5:27

With the ratification of 50 countries necessary for the entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which bans the development and possession of nuclear weapons, imminent, a group of volunteers promoting the treaty is working with members of the Diet, etc. It has announced that it will begin a new initiative to encourage the government to join the treaty.

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is about to reach the 50 required for its entry into force by countries that have "ratified" to complete domestic procedures, but the Japanese government has indicated that it will not participate in the treaty because it will not lead to nuclear disarmament. ..

On the 23rd, a group of volunteers who promote the treaty, made up of students and NGOs, announced that they would hold an online event and start a new project to encourage the Japanese government to participate in the treaty.

The project, entitled "GoTo Hee-joon! Campaign," is to contact members of parliament and the governor to publish their approval or disapproval of the treaty on their website and post it on SNS.

According to a group survey, 17% of parliamentarians have shown their willingness to support the treaty, and they want to recruit members nationwide to get support from 30% by the end of the year.

Akira Kawasaki, an international steering committee member of the ICAN = International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, who represents the group, said, "Awareness of the treaty has a wide gap between public opinion, which is in favor of the treaty, and members of the Diet, who represent the people. I want to realize the ratification of Japan by getting people interested in this way of thinking. "

Chief Cabinet Secretary "The idea of ​​not signing"

At a press conference on the afternoon of the 23rd, Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato said, "Japan shares the goal of abolishing nuclear weapons, which the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons aims at. It is not necessarily the situation that is supported by the possessing countries. "

On top of that, "it is appropriate to pursue a path to steadily advance nuclear disarmament while appropriately responding to real security threats, including maintaining and strengthening deterrence. The Convention states that such an approach. Is different, so the idea is not to sign. "

He added, "The security environment surrounding Japan, including North Korea, which is developing nuclear weapons and missiles, is becoming extremely severe. While strengthening Japan's own defense capabilities, under the Japan-US security system, Maintaining and strengthening US deterrence, including nuclear deterrence, is a realistic and appropriate way of thinking for Japan's defense. "