The Review Conference of the NPT = Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which discusses the direction of nuclear disarmament in the world, will begin on the night of the 1st of Japan time at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
The focus is on whether the international community, including the nuclear-weapon states, can unite toward nuclear disarmament as the threat of nuclear weapons increases due to Russia's military invasion of Ukraine.
The NPT is an international treaty in which 191 countries and territories—most of the United Nations member states—have joined. Other countries are prohibited from developing or possessing nuclear weapons.
The Review Conference aims to confirm the status of implementation of the treaty and reach an agreement on the direction of nuclear disarmament.This time, it will be held for the first time in seven years due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection, and will open at the United Nations Headquarters on the evening of the 1st, Japan time. Then, consultations will be held for four weeks until the 26th.
Concerning global nuclear disarmament, last year, the non-nuclear-weapon states took the lead in enacting the Nuclear Weapons Convention, which prohibits the development and possession of nuclear weapons, separate from the NPT. The steps are disordered between them.
In addition, after Russia's military invasion of Ukraine in February this year, concerns about the use of nuclear weapons have increased, and there is a growing movement to strengthen armaments in Europe and elsewhere, and in East Asia, China and North Korea. There is growing concern over the buildup of nuclear arsenals in the United States.
As conflicts and divisions in the international community over nuclear weapons deepen, the focus of the review conference is whether each country can compile a consensus document.
In addition, Prime Minister Kishida will also attend this conference to appeal once again for the necessity of nuclear disarmament, and the response of Japan, the only country to have suffered atomic bombings in war, will also be questioned.
Prime Minister Kishida to give speech at NPT Review Conference Appealing importance of non-use of nuclear weapons
Prime Minister Kishida, who left Japan on the night of the 31st to attend the NPT Review Conference to be held at the United Nations Headquarters, is scheduled to arrive in New York, USA.
Prior to his departure, Prime Minister Kishida expressed a strong sense of crisis about the current state of the international community regarding nuclear disarmament, and said, "Precisely because we are in such a difficult situation, I am the first Japanese prime minister to attend the conference, and I am committed to working toward a world without nuclear weapons. I would like to take this opportunity to reinvigorate this momentum."
Prime Minister Kishida is scheduled to deliver a speech at the conference late at night on the 1st, Japan time. We will explain our efforts and call on all countries to take constructive measures to maintain and strengthen the NPT regime.
Prime Minister Kishida also plans to hold a meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on site. I would like to improve my chances.
What is NPT?
The NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty), which came into effect in 1970, is the basic framework for global nuclear disarmament with the participation of 191 countries and regions, which is the majority of the member states of the United Nations.
The treaty obliges the five countries that possess nuclear weapons - the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and China - to negotiate for nuclear disarmament, while prohibiting other countries from developing or possessing nuclear weapons.
In addition to recognizing the right to peaceful uses of nuclear power such as nuclear power generation in each country, it is also obligated to receive inspections by the IAEA = International Atomic Energy Agency so that it will not be diverted to the development of weapons.
A review conference of the treaty is held once every five years, at which each country confirms the status of implementation of the treaty and aims to reach a unanimous agreement on the direction of nuclear disarmament.
On the other hand, among the UN member states, India, Pakistan, and Israel have not joined the treaty, and North Korea, which is promoting nuclear and missile development, declared its withdrawal unilaterally in 2003.
What is the history of the Review Conference?
Countries and regions participating in the NPT = Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty hold a review conference once every five years, where each country confirms the status of implementation of the treaty and reaches a unanimous agreement on the future direction of nuclear disarmament. I've been aiming
▽ In 2010, two years ago, we adopted the "Final Document", which confirmed that the nuclear-weapon states will work irreversibly toward the complete abolition of nuclear weapons.
On the other hand, ▽ last time in 2015, seven years ago, the non-nuclear weapon states, frustrated by the delay in nuclear disarmament, appealed that nuclear weapons should be legally prohibited, and sharply confronted the nuclear weapon states.
Negotiations also got into turmoil over the denuclearization concept of the Middle East, and in the end the "final document" could not be adopted.
▽ This conference was originally scheduled for 2020, but was postponed for more than two years due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection.
During this time, last year, countries that do not possess nuclear weapons took the lead in bringing the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons into effect, while in the first half of this year, the threat of actual use of nuclear weapons due to Russia's military invasion of Ukraine increased. It will be a review meeting at a time when the nature of the NPT is being severely questioned.
Expert ``Increasing divisions, obstacles to set direction''
Prior to the Review Conference of the NPT = Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which will be held from the 1st, Professor Nobumasa Akiyama of Hitotsubashi University, who will participate in the conference as an advisor to the Japanese government delegation, responded to an interview with NHK.
Regarding the current situation where the threat of the use of nuclear weapons is increasing due to Russia's military invasion of Ukraine, Professor Akiyama said, "Russia has been using the threat of nuclear weapons in its aggression. In addition, Russia itself is being deterred by the United States' nuclear weapons.
Furthermore, "We must be concerned about the situation in which the political discourse that Russia was invaded by Russia because Ukraine did not have nuclear weapons is being accepted in the international community as having some weight," he said. He pointed out that there is a possibility that the situation will be unfavorable from the perspective of nuclear non-proliferation as well as further promote nuclear development.
In addition, regarding this review conference, he said, ``The deepening division in the way of thinking about nuclear weapons may become a major obstacle to the cooperation of the parties to the NPT to set a course of action.'' He said that it was inevitable that the negotiations would be in turmoil.
On the other hand, “Amidst the strategic competition and deepening conflicts among the states possessing nuclear weapons, what concrete measures should the nuclear-weapon states take to ensure that the conflict does not escalate into nuclear war or the use of nuclear weapons? I would like to pay attention to what kind of measures will be taken," he said, expressing hope that the response to the imminent crisis will be discussed.
Regarding Prime Minister Kishida's participation as the first Japanese prime minister to attend, he said, "In addition to appealing the importance of the NPT at the conference, I would like to specifically discuss Japan's role as a bridge between nuclear-weapon states and non-nuclear-weapon states. We need to show how to deal with it," he said, acknowledging that as the only country to have suffered atomic bombings in the war, more concrete contributions will be required.
Furthermore, regarding the anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the first half of the exhibition, he said, "For the diplomats of the participating countries, it is precisely why they are gathering here. What is diplomacy for? I think it will be an opportunity to make people strongly aware of whether
The world's nuclear warheads may turn to increase in the next 10 years
Sweden's Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which analyzes the world's military situation, said in its annual report released in June that the total number of nuclear warheads in the world, which had been on the decline, may start to increase again. It shows the view that there is
According to the report, the total number of nuclear warheads possessed by each country was estimated to be 12,705 as of January this year, down 375 from last year.
Russia and the United States, which possess about 90% of the world's nuclear warheads, have analyzed that the number of warheads has decreased due to the dismantling of obsolete warheads. It was.
On the other hand, both countries are proceeding with plans to "modernize" their nuclear weapons by improving their nuclear warheads and missile delivery systems, and other nuclear weapon states have also clearly positioned their nuclear forces within their security policies. It is said that the number of nuclear warheads in the world, which has continued to decline, may turn to increase in the next decade.
"The risk of nuclear weapons being used is at its highest level since the end of the Cold War," the report said, referring to the possibility of using nuclear weapons as Russia continues its military invasion of Ukraine. ringing.