Japan Delivers Joint Statement at NPT Meeting

New York, April 30 (Jiji Press)–Japan announced in New York on Thursday that 115 nations and regions have taken part in a joint statement calling for promoting education on nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation. Tomiko Ichikawa, Japan’s disarmament ambassador, delivered the statement at the third session of the disarmament-focused preparatory committee for the 2026 review conference of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty at the U.N. headquarters. From nuclear powers, Britain newly joined this time. The statement, which has been presented at NPT review conferences by the only atomic-bombed country in history, underscores the importance of passing on “invaluable testimonies” of the survivors of the 1945 U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, or hibakusha, to future generations. Noting that the testimonies have played “an indispensable role” in nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation education, it advises that each NPT signatory encourage visits to affected sites to meet with hibakusha. Through those efforts, the international community can “advance toward a world without nuclear weapons,” the statement emphasized. During the committee session, non-aligned nations blamed nuclear powers for failing to observe their disarmament obligations under the treaty. Stagnant disarmament has created distrust between nuclear haves and have-nots, Egypt said. Other non-nuclear signatories also expressed their frustration toward nuclear countries. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]