Statement by H.E. Ambassador ISHIKANE Kimihiro, Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations, at the High-level Meeting to Commemorate and Promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
2020/10/2
Mr. President,
Please allow me to extend my appreciation to you for convening this high-level meeting to commemorate and promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
75 years ago, atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and took more than two hundred thousand precious lives in the blink of an eye. Hiroshima and Nagasaki must never be repeated. In this milestone year, the international community must be united before the shared goal of realizing a world free of nuclear weapons.
The year 2020 also marks the 50th anniversary of the entry into force of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Japan highly appreciates the NPT’s invaluable contribution to the consolidation and maintenance of international peace and security as the cornerstone of the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime. The postponement of the 10th NPT Review Conference due to the pandemic, by no means, undermines the urgency of the issues regarding nuclear weapons. Japan stands ready to contribute to realizing a meaningful outcome of the Conference in collaboration with the international community.
Mr. President,
Today, we are witnessing a deteriorating security environment, a divergence of views on nuclear disarmament, and the growing threat of the proliferation of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. Against this backdrop, it has become more necessary than ever to deepen the interactive discussion among States in search of common ground that would allow us to proceed steadily towards the realization of a world free of nuclear weapons.
One of the most acute non-proliferation challenges today remains the situation in North Korea. Japan continues to be committed to the goal of achieving complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of all of North Korea’s nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, ballistic missiles of all ranges as well as related programs and facilities in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions. We call on all Member States to fully implement these resolutions.
As the only country to have ever suffered atomic bombings during war, Japan is profoundly conscious of the dire humanitarian consequences of the use of nuclear weapons. This year, the average age of the hibakusha, atomic bomb survivors, exceeded 83 years. I would like to extend my respect to the longstanding efforts by the hibakusha, and pledge with renewed determination to pass on their personal experiences across borders and generations.
Let me conclude by reiterating Japan’s firm commitment to achieving a world free of nuclear weapons.
Thank you.
Please allow me to extend my appreciation to you for convening this high-level meeting to commemorate and promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
75 years ago, atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and took more than two hundred thousand precious lives in the blink of an eye. Hiroshima and Nagasaki must never be repeated. In this milestone year, the international community must be united before the shared goal of realizing a world free of nuclear weapons.
The year 2020 also marks the 50th anniversary of the entry into force of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Japan highly appreciates the NPT’s invaluable contribution to the consolidation and maintenance of international peace and security as the cornerstone of the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime. The postponement of the 10th NPT Review Conference due to the pandemic, by no means, undermines the urgency of the issues regarding nuclear weapons. Japan stands ready to contribute to realizing a meaningful outcome of the Conference in collaboration with the international community.
Mr. President,
Today, we are witnessing a deteriorating security environment, a divergence of views on nuclear disarmament, and the growing threat of the proliferation of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. Against this backdrop, it has become more necessary than ever to deepen the interactive discussion among States in search of common ground that would allow us to proceed steadily towards the realization of a world free of nuclear weapons.
One of the most acute non-proliferation challenges today remains the situation in North Korea. Japan continues to be committed to the goal of achieving complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of all of North Korea’s nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, ballistic missiles of all ranges as well as related programs and facilities in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions. We call on all Member States to fully implement these resolutions.
As the only country to have ever suffered atomic bombings during war, Japan is profoundly conscious of the dire humanitarian consequences of the use of nuclear weapons. This year, the average age of the hibakusha, atomic bomb survivors, exceeded 83 years. I would like to extend my respect to the longstanding efforts by the hibakusha, and pledge with renewed determination to pass on their personal experiences across borders and generations.
Let me conclude by reiterating Japan’s firm commitment to achieving a world free of nuclear weapons.
Thank you.