Japan should play leading role in global nuclear disarmament

January 4, 2013

Japan expected to lead nuclear disarmament

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20140105_02.html 

Japan is expected to come under pressure from the international community this year to play a leading role in the push for nuclear disarmament.

Government officials recently made the historic decision to commit Japan to a United Nations statement that opposes the use of nuclear weapons under any circumstances.

Previously they said this policy was incompatible with the country's reliance on the US nuclear umbrella.

The UN statement came amid arguments between countries that want a treaty banning atomic weapons, and those favoring a more gradual approach that allows for nuclear deterrence.

An international conference in Mexico next month will study the humanitarian impact of a nuclear attack.

Japan also plans to host an international conference in April to discuss nuclear disarmament. The meeting of foreign ministers from countries that do not possess nuclear arms will take place in Hiroshima, the site of a nuclear attack in World War Two.

Meiji Gakuin University Professor Takao Takahara says the international community hopes Japan, the only country to have suffered atomic bombings, will play an active role in global nuclear disarmament.