Nagasaki Meet Recommends Concrete Steps For Nuke Abolition By Ramesh Jaura* | !N" n!

epth Ne#sAnalysis B$R% N | NA&ASA' ( !N) * More than +,-,,, nuclear #eapons ha.e been eliminated since the historic Reyk/a.0k Summit bet#een the then 12S2 3resident Ronald Reagan and his counterpart 4rom the erst#hile So.iet 1nion Mikhail &orbache.- #hich culminated into a groundbreaking ntermediate"Range Nuclear Forces 5reaty ( NF) in !ecember 67892 But 69-:,, nukes remain- threatening many times o.er the .ery sur.i.al o4 human ci.ili;ation and most li4e on earth- as the <,6: Nagasaki Appeal points out2 5he Federation o4 American Scientists (FAS) estimates that nine countries possess nuclear #eapons= 1nited States (9-9,, #arheads)- Russia (8-+,,)- Britain (<<+)- France (:,,)- China (<+,)- srael (8,)- ndia (bet#een 7, and 66,)- 3akistan (bet#een 6,, and 6<,) and North 'orea (6,)2 Fi.e $uropean nations * Belgium- &ermany- taly- Netherlands- and 5urkey * host 12S2 nuclear #eapons on their soil as part o4 a NA5> nuclear"sharing arrangement2 Roughly t#o do;en other nations * Albania- Australia- Bulgaria- Canada- Croatia- C;ech- !enmark$stonia- &reece- ?ungary- celand- Japan- %at.ia- %ithuania- %u@embourg- Nor#ay- 3oland3ortugal- Romania- Slo.akia- Slo.enia- South 'orea- and Spain * claim to rely on 12S2 nuclear #eapons 4or their security2 Furthermore- there are some A, nations #ith nuclear po#er or research reactors capable o4 being di.erted 4or #eapons production2 According to e@perts- the spread o4 nuclear kno#"ho# has increased the risk that more nations #ill de.elop the bomb2 And this despite the 4act that Bthe danger o4 nuclear annihilation- by accident- miscalculation or design continues to cast a dark shado# o.er humanityCs 4utureD2 n addition- states the Nagasaki Appeal- the 4ailure o4 the nuclear #eapon states to achie.e more progress to#ard a nuclear #eapons 4ree #orld is undermining the legitimacy o4 the Nuclear Nonproli4eration 5reaty (N35)2 5he Appeal #arns= B5he nuclear #eapon statesC repeated delays in 4ul4illing their EuneFui.ocalC commitment to nuclear disarmament has discredited the nonproli4eration regime and may destroy it2D 5he landmark Nagasaki Appeal emerged 4rom the +th Nagasaki &lobal Citi;ensC Assembly 4or the $limination o4 Nuclear Geapons- No.ember <"A- <,6: in Nagasaki * the second andto date- last city in the #orld to e@perience a nuclear attack along #ith ?iroshima H8 years ago2 Citi;ens o4 Nagasaki ha.e continued their tradition o4 con.ening such &lobal Citi;ensC Assemblies- #hich they ha.e held e.ery 4e# years since the year <,,,2 3articipants in the Assembly included representati.es 4rom nongo.ernmental organi;ations (N&>s) and scientists 4rom Japan and abroad2 5hey heard again the .oices o4 hibakushasur.i.ors o4 the 12S2 atomic bombings o4 ?iroshima and Nagasaki- and their urgent appeal that the elimination o4 nuclear #eapons becomes a reality #hile they are still ali.e2 5hey also listened to hope4ul .oices o4 young people accepting responsibility 4or achie.ing and maintaining a #orld #ithout nuclear #eapons2 An eminent participant and speaker * as in pre.ious 4our meetings as an in.ited guest o4 the city o4 Nagasaki * #as !a.id 'rieger- 3resident o4 the Nuclear Age 3eace Foundation- #ho has participated in the dra4ting o4 all the Nagasaki Appeals2 'rieger said in an in an email comment 4or#arded to !N= B5he <,6: Nagasaki Appeal is an e@traordinary document2 t re4lects the spirit o4 Nagasaki- the second o4 t#o atomic bombed cities on the planet- and the desire o4 its atomic bomb sur.i.ors to assure that Nagasaki

remains the last city e.er to su44er such a tragedy2 belie.e the Appeal should be read by e.ery citi;en o4 $arth and studied by young people e.ery#here2D >ne highlight o4 the Appeal- said 'rieger is that it takes note o4 the nuclear po#er accident at Fukushima- Japan in March <,66= B5he 4ear and su44ering o4 Fukushima citi;ens 4or their health and li4e rene#ed our recognition o4 the danger o4 radioacti.ity- #hether 4rom nuclear #eapons or nuclear energy2 5he e@periences o4 Fukushima and the atomic bombings o4 Nagasaki and ?iroshima ha.e sho#n us that the e44ects o4 nuclear disasters are uncontrollable in time and space-D states the Appeal2 Reasons for hope !espite Bdaunting challenges-D the Appeal 4inds there are reasons 4or hope- among #hich is the rene#ed international attention to the de.astating humanitarian conseFuences o4 the use o4 nuclear #eapons2 t also 4ound that reliance upon nuclear deterrence 4or national security is Bdelusional-D in a #orld in #hich human security and global security are threatened by nuclear #eapons- said 'rieger2 !escribing the inhumanity o4 nuclear #eapons- the resolution adopted in No.ember <,66 by the Council o4 !elegates o4 the nternational Red Cross and Red Crescent Mo.ement identi4ied the need to Bconclude I negotiations to prohibit the use o4 and completely eliminate nuclear #eapons through a legally binding international agreement2D 5he humanitarian impacts o4 nuclear #eapons ha.e been discussed in the 1nited Nations &eneral Assembly since <,6,- and at preparatory committee meetings 4or the <,6+ N35 Re.ie# Con4erence2 Moreo.er- the go.ernment o4 Nor#ay hosted an international con4erence in >slo in March <,6: on the humanitarian impact o4 nuclear #eapons2 A 4ollo#" on meeting- #ill be hosted by the go.ernment o4 Me@ico in February <,6A2 'rieger highlighted another aspect o4 the Nagasaki Appeal- #hich calls 4or Ba series o4 concrete actions- including commencing negotiations on the prohibition and elimination o4 nuclear #eaponsJ the 1S and Russia taking unilateral and bilateral nuclear disarmament measuresJ phasing out o4 reliance on nuclear #eapons in the security policies o4 all countriesJ ha.ing greater citi;en participation in nuclear abolition campaignsJ establishing ne# nuclear #eapon"4ree ;onesJ aiding the .ictims o4 FukushimaJ and learning the lesson that humanity cannot continue to rely upon nuclear energy any more than it can rely upon nuclear #eapons2D 5he Appeal states= B5he accident at Fukushima has taught us that #e cannot continue to rely upon nuclear energy2D t recalls that Sen/i Kamaguchi brought the hibakushaCs e@perience o4 the atomic bomb to the 1nited Nations in 678<- #hen he declared= BNo More ?iroshimas- No More Nagasakis- No more ?ibakusha- No More GarLD- adding= 5he accident at Fukushima reFuires the addition o4 BNo More FukushimasLD 5he Appeal also o44ers some speci4ic ad.ice to the Japanese go.ernment based upon its special responsibilities as the #orldCs only country to ha.e been attacked #ith nuclear #eapons- said 'rieger2 B5hese responsibilities include= coming out 4rom under the 1S nuclear umbrellaJ pro.iding leadership to achie.e a nuclear #eapon"4ree ;one in Northeast AsiaJ demonstrating leadership 4or nuclear #eapons abolitionJ and seeking and #elcoming international assistance in controlling the radiological crisis at Fukushima2D 5he Appeal points out that leaders o4 +:< local authorities in Japan ha.e e@pressed support 4or a nuclear #eapon"4ree ;one in Northeast Asia- as did 8: Japanese and South 'orean parliamentarians 4rom across the political spectrum in a /oint statement on July <<- <,6,2 n September <,6:- the 3resident o4 Mongolia indicated his countryCs interest in e@ploring the

establishment o4 a nuclear #eapon"4ree ;one in Northeast Asia at the 1nited Nations &eneral Assembly2 5o demonstrate leadership- says the Appeal- Japan should take ad.antage o4 the opportunity presented by the Non"3roli4eration and !isarmament nitiati.e (N3! ) Foreign MinistersC Meeting to be held in ?iroshima in April <,6A2 Japan- it says- should also urge political leaders and go.ernment o44icials #ho #ill participate in the &<, Summit that #ill be held in Japan in <,6H to .isit ?iroshima and Nagasaki2 Further= 5he participants in the Nagasaki &lobal Citi;ensC Assembly pledge to continue Butmost e44orts to achie.e a #orld #ithout nuclear #eaponsD- and a.er= BNagasaki must be the last A"bombed city2D 5his- notes 'rieger- is a necessary goal 4or humanity and 4or the 4uture2 B t is the great challenge that con4ronts all o4 us li.ing on the planet in the Nuclear Age2 Nagasaki is doing its part to lead the #ay2 5hey need our .oices and our commitment to succeed2D Concrete steps For this to become reality- the Appeal recommends a series o4 tangible steps * most o4 #hich ha.e been proposed by Soka &akkai nternational (S& ) 3resident !aisaku keda in his peace proposals * including= 5he call 4or negotiations on the comprehensi.e prohibition and elimination o4 nuclear #eapons to start in <,6A- and 4or these negotiations to be supported by the N35 Re.ie# Con4erence in <,6+ and the ?igh %e.el Con4erence proposed to take place no later than <,682 Signi4icant reductions by the 12S2 and Russia in their strategic and non"strategic- deployed and un"deployed nuclear stockpiles through bilateral or unilateral measures- and halt on de.elopment and moderni;ation o4 nuclear #eapons systems by all nuclear"armed countriespa.ing the path#ay to reallocating 1S! 6,,-,,,-,,,-,,, per year to meeting social and economic needs2 3hasing out the role and signi4icance o4 nuclear #eapons in the military and 4oreign policies o4 nuclear"armed countries and those countries that rely on nuclear umbrellas- and stigmati;ing nuclear #eapons- by enacting national legislation and di.esting 4rom nuclear #eapons industries2 &reater citi;en participation and the engagement o4 young people around the #orld in campaigns 4or the elimination o4 nuclear #eapons- such as Mayors 4or 3eace3arliamentarians 4or Nuclear Nonproli4eration and !isarmament (3NN!)- the Abolition <,,, &lobal Net#ork to $liminate Nuclear Geapons (Abolition <,,,)- the nternational Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Geapons ( CAN)- and nternational 3hysicians 4or the 3re.ention o4 Nuclear Gar ( 33NG)2 *Ramesh Jaura is global editor o4 !N and its sister publication &lobal 3erspecti.es- chie4 editor o4 3S &ermany as #ell as editorial board member o4 >ther Ne#s2 ?e is also e@ecuti.e president o4 &lobal Cooperation Council- board member o4 3S international and global coordinator o4 S& " 3S pro/ect 4or strengthening public a#areness o4 the need to abolish nukes2 M !N" n!epthNe#s * No.ember 6H- <,6:N Related article= http=OO###2truth"out2orgOopinionOitemO679:8"delegitimi;ing"nuclear"#eapons"the"role"o4" citi;ens"and"hibakusha http=OO###2abolishnukes2comOshortPessaysO.ictoryPhumanityPkrieger2html 3hoto credit= popularresistance2org

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