JOINT STATEMENT
by
Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament Japan and
Religions for Peace Japan
in pursuit of the elimination of nuclear weapons on April 25, 2019
Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Japan (PNND Japan) and Religions for Peace Japan (RfP Japan) issued the joint statement for the elimination of nuclear weapons in April 2015 so that it would benefit the deliberations of the Ninth Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT Review Conference). In that statement, the necessity of mutually supportive endeavors both by parliamentarians through political and legislative approach and by people in faith communities through ethical and moral approach was stressed. In pursuit of a world free of nuclear weapons, the resolution for a robust collaboration both of the parliamentarians and people in religious communities, who live in Japan that was devastated by the bombings of nuclear weapons, was clearly displayed. In that statement, furthermore, we confirmed our engagements in advocacy activities for the elimination of nuclear weapons, outreaching the international community, while taking into consideration humanitarian aspect regarding nuclear weapons and the illegitimacy of those deadly weapons.
After four years since then, the international environment with regard to nuclear weapons fell into a more severe situation. No agreement was reached, and a new momentum of international cooperation for nuclear disarmament failed to be nurtured at the Ninth NPT Review Conference in 2015. Afterwards, such ramifications as the heated arms competition among US, Russia and China even covering a sphere of outer space were witnessed, and the DPRK’s nuclear and missile capability is now of crucial importance in Northeast Asia. The lack of transparency and the increase of nuclear warheads of China’s nuclear weapons are also another threat for the international community. The withdrawals of the US government from the Iran Nuclear Deal (JCPOA) and from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty heightens a risk of further deployment of nuclear weapons and also a risk of their use. The fact that the hands of “World Doomsday Clock” stand at two minutes to midnight in January 2019 symbolically shows how the world is becoming more unstable.
Meanwhile, the adoption of the Treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons in July 2017 was an epoch-making event towards the abolition of nuclear weapons. One may argue that the signing of this Treaty came into existence because such principles as inhumane aspect of nuclear weapons and a belief that the use of force must not be unlimited under international humanitarian laws, both of which were emphasized in the final document of Eighth NPT Review Conference, were taken into account. Being a supplementary legal framework to the NPT, this Treaty will prove its significance as time goes.
Expectation of cooperative multilateralism and the United Nations
Under the aforementioned circumstances, military expansionism and national
particularism became imminent in some countries. The consciousness of ‘my
country first’ may result in a tendency of self-righteousness and exclusiveness
in the international relations, and it may enhance mutual distrust among
nations and peoples. In this context, we reaffirm that cooperative multilateralism
is so important to bring about international peace and stability. The role
of the United Nations as an intergovernmental organization is highly valued
as a catalyst for furthering such multilateralism. We sincerely hope that
the United Nations, which stresses “common good” for a better world in
various fora, exerts its leadership not only in political and economic
spheres but also in moral domain as well.
Democratically opened negotiation
Last year and early this year, the US president Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim Jong-un,
the DPRK’s Chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea, met twice in summit
meetings. However, the progress for the denuclearization of the Korean
Peninsula, which many people expected to witness, remains to be unclear.
In view of this development, we re-realized that an issue of nuclear weapons
as such ought to be negotiated in a widely opened democratic platform,
not necessarily in a negotiation table of a limited number of top-leaders.
An issue of nuclear weapons is closely linked not only with the world populations
as a whole and also with ‘each human life’ as well. Therefore, a matter
of nuclear weapons, which is related to the entire humanity, must be handled
beyond national boundaries. In this sense, we stress that such players
as national/local parliamentarians, people in faith communities and in
civil society are urged to be networked effectively so that their committed
efforts in accelerating nuclear disarmament can be linked with multilateral
negotiations carried out by government representatives.
Immediate reexamination of the nuclear deterrence policy and discussion
on the use of nuclear weapons under ultimate circumstances
Bearing in mind the current international situation with respect to an
issue of nuclear weapons, the PNND Japan and RfP Japan strongly hope that
a wider discussion takes place as early as possible on the reliability
of nuclear deterrence, on which the nuclear-weapon-states and the non-nuclear-weapons-states
under ‘nuclear umbrella’ are heavily dependent, believing that the policy
of nuclear deterrence is inevitable in their national security. To spotlight
these fundamentally important discussions, we are of the view that both
parliamentarians and religious people should endeavor and take initiatives
in nourishing a platform of dialogue among the stake-holders. In our previous
joint statement proclaimed in 2015, we argued: “nuclear weapons are the
weapons, which must not and cannot ever be used.” And also, we expressed
our conviction in the same statement that nuclear deterrence would not
function properly to guarantee security of a nation. In fact, the reason
why nuclear weapons have never been used so far after Hiroshima and Nagasaki
is only because of an utterly accident not because nuclear deterrence worked
effectively. On the contrary, nuclear weapons currently face such risks
as a mistaken use, an unexpected accident, a theft and proliferation. It
goes without saying that these situations heighten a risk of nuclear detonation
rather than the enhancement of the effectiveness of nuclear deterrence.
The members of PNND Japan and RfP Japan are also convinced that a sincere discussion on whether or not nuclear weapons can be used when the survival of a nation is at risk is the backbone of the application of nuclear deterrence policy. Neglecting this fundamentally important but difficult matter vis-à-vis national security is truly a great obstacle that impedes the realization of a world free of nuclear weapons.
Genuine testimonies told by the Hibakushas and soberly scientific forecast
for the aftermath
What is so important in discussing ‘nuclear deterrence’ and ‘the use of
nuclear weapons under the ultimate circumstances’ is to bear in mind both
genuine testimonies told by the Hibakushas, who have been risking their
lives for a long time, and the soberly scientific forecast for the aftermath
once a nuclear weapon is used. These considerations must not be lost sight
of any time and should be prioritized in discussing nuclear weapons issues.
The use of nuclear weapons is utterly against the call of “no more Hiroshima
and no more Nagasaki” by people who have been longing for a world free
of nuclear weapons.
Promotion of Nuclear-Weapons-Free Zone in Northeast Asia
We are confident in saying that a Nuclear-Weapons-Free Zone in Northeast
Asia, which PNND Japan has been promoting, remains to be a clue for nurturing
peace and stability in Northeast Asia. This region is currently under an
unstable condition even though 30 years have passed since the end of the
Cold War. Believing that the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and
the increased transparency of China’s nuclear weapons are to be realized
imminently, we are so committed to the early realization of the NWFZ in
Northeast Asia.
Concern about AI and robot weapons
We express our strong concern about the recent trend of developing AI and
robot weapons, which contains severely inhumane aspects and triggers military
expansion. Parliamentarians and religious people are required to be aware
that science and technology and their development can be utilized in an
act of war. We are therefore ethically and humanitarianly responsible for
decelerating the misuse of modern science and technology. In this context,
we recall the ‘Russell-Einstein Manifesto’ proclaimed in July 1957. This
historical document states: We appeal as human beings to human beings:
Remember your humanity, and forget the rest. If you can do so, the way
lies open to a new Paradise;… We as human beings ought to remember our
humanity again and work hard for the elimination of nuclear weapons and
the prevention of war.
Through our work in drafting this joint statement, the members of PNND Japan and RfP Japan were fully reminded that that our firm and genuine step forward would be a pre-requisite for achieving the abolition of nuclear weapons. While we properly acknowledge the contemporary international situation and take it into consideration that the Hibakushas’ average age is now over 82 years old with their urgent and honest aspiration, we are so determined to cooperate one another and act positively together at such fora as the Third Preparatory Committee for the 2020 NPT Review Conference in April this year, the NPT Review Conference itself in 2020, the 10th World Assembly of Religious for Peace International in August this year and also the 9th Assembly of Religions for Peace Asia in October 2020, etc. Both the parliamentarians and people in faith communities pledge that we commit ourselves to our collaborative work for achieving our common goal of a world free of nuclear weapons as a matter of urgency.
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