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CTBTO Spectrum: Issue 18

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CTBTO Spectrum: Issue 18 A need for united action for the early entry into force of the CTBT An appeal from the country of Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Fukushima by YORIKO KAWAGUCHI On behalf of the Japanese people and in my various capacities, in particular as Co-Chair of the International the International Commission on Nuclear Foreign Minister of Japan from 2002 to Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Non-proliferation and Disarmament 2004 as well as Co-Chair of the ICNND. Disarmament (ICNND), (ICNND), I have the honour to send a Member of House of message to the readers of Spectrum. Firstly, ever since chairing the Councillors of Japan The importance of the Comprehensive 1st Conference on Facilitating the Entry Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) cannot into Force of the CTBT in 1999, Japan be overemphasized. The CTBT, along has participated actively in all ensuing with the International Atomic Energy conferences. As Foreign Minister at the Agency (IAEA) safeguards, is an time, I participated in the 3rd Conference indispensable pillar of the international on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the nuclear non-proliferation and disarma- CTBT in 2003 and the 1st and 2nd “Friends ment regime based on the Nuclear of the CTBT” Foreign Ministers Meetings Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Japan in 2002 and 2004. In August 2003, coop- thus attaches the utmost importance to erating with Foreign Ministers of Austria the early entry into force of the CTBT. and Finland, I sent Joint Ministerial Letters to the States that had not yet signed or As the only nation to have ratified the CTBT in order to facilitate suffered nuclear devastation as a result the early entry into force of the Treaty. of the bombs detonated over Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, and as LAYING OUT A ROAD MAP a country that suffered from a nuclear TO RID THE WORLD OF power plant accident last year, our expec- NUCLEAR WEAPONS tations of the CTBT are higher than ever. Because of my strong belief in the CTBT, I Secondly, the ICNND attaches high have undertaken work for the early entry importance to the role of the CTBT. into force of the Treaty over the years The establishment of the ICNND was 13 13 CTBTO SPECTRUM 17 | SEPTEMBER 2011 CTBTO SPECTRUM 18 | MaRCh 2012 MARch 2011: Satellite image showing damage after the Tohoku Earthquake and tsunami at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Japan. Credit: DigitalGlobe »In the face of the tragic events, the CTBTO quickly provided the international community with accurate and objective information on the composition and dispersion of radionuclides worldwide.« test site, which took place in Astana, Kazakhstan, in October 2011. The Forum, in which I also participated, issued a decla- ration urging all nations to ratify the CTBT. proposed in June 2008 by Australian important report be put on the shelf, we As shown above, all kinds of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Japanese launched a new Asia Pacific Leadership efforts and united action around the Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda as a Network for Nuclear Non-Proliferation world are indispensable to build a joint initiative of the Australian and and Disarmament (APLN) in May 2011. I world without nuclear weapons, which Japanese Governments in order to lay am thankful to my co-chair Gareth Evans includes realizing the early entry into out a road map for the elimination of for the efforts he put in to create this. force of the CTBT. The work of the nuclear weapons. All the Commissioners, CTBTO is crucial in this regard. Let including former Australian Foreign The APLN is comprised of 30 me take this opportunity to express Minister Gareth Evans and myself as former senior political, diplomatic and my strong support for Ambassador Co-Chairs, fully shared this recognition, military leaders from 13 countries of Tóth and the rest of the CTBTO staff. and the Commission thus recommended the Asian region, including the States Remember that the international in its 2009 report entitled “Eliminating possessing nuclear weapons such as community stands firmly behind you! Nuclear Threats: A Practical Agenda China, India and Pakistan. It is designed for Global Policymakers”, as follows: to build upon the work of the ICNND. RESPONDING RAPIDLY TO Members of the APLN met for the first THE FUKUSHIMA AccIDENT “All states that have not already inaugural meeting in Tokyo in November done so should sign and ratify the CTBT 2011. We signed a joint statement One year has passed since the Great East unconditionally and without delay. strongly supporting a nuclear-weapon- Japan Earthquake and the subsequent Pending entry into force, all states should free world and calling on policymakers nuclear accident at the Fukushima continue to refrain from nuclear testing. All to “get serious” about nuclear non- Daiichi nuclear power plant. In the face signatories should provide the necessary proliferation and disarmament. One of the tragic events, the CTBTO quickly financial, technical and political support of the five distinct but interrelated provided the international community for the continued development and sets of policy commitments is action with accurate and objective informa- operation of the [Preparatory Commission on the critical building blocks for both tion on the composition and dispersion for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban non-proliferation and disarmament, of radionuclides worldwide, using its Treaty Organization] CTBTO, including including bringing the CTBT into force. Atmospheric Transport Modelling (ATM) completing the global coverage of its calculations, helping to establish that monitoring systems, facilitating on-site Fourthly, it is important to support radioactivity around the world was inspection when warranted, and estab- other governments’ initiatives. For below harmful levels. I heard of the lishing effective national data centres example, Kazakhstan, which has suffered tremendous amount of work carried out and information gathering systems.” hundreds of nuclear tests by the Soviet by CTBTO staff and highly appreciate it. Union, has become a strong driving force We agreed to include this point in the BRINGING THE CTBT against nuclear testing. An important Final Declaration of the 7th Conference INTO FORCE recent initiative was the International on Facilitating the Entry into Force of Forum for a Nuclear Weapons-Free World the CTBT. The CTBT verification system Thirdly, recognizing that it is impera- to commemorate the 20th anniversary of is capable of bringing scientific and tive to follow up and not to let such an the closure of the Semipalatinsk nuclear civil benefits, including for tsunami 14 CTBTO SPECTRUM 18 | MaRCh 2012 warning systems and other disaster Finally, I wholeheartedly welcome New Agenda Coalition (NAC), I have alert systems in addition to its primary the decision by the parliament of the high expectations for the activities of function of detecting nuclear explo- Indonesia to approve ratification of the the 10 non-nuclear weapon States3 of sions. Today the world has plenty of Treaty on 6 December 2011. As a fellow the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament natural disasters. Here is my message parliamentarian, I definitely put this at Initiative (NPDI). The NPDI was jointly from the nation that has suffered a the top of my list of 2011’s disarmament launched by Australia and Japan in nuclear power plant accident in the and non-proliferation news. Japan has September 2010 as a new action- 21st century: the countries which continuously reiterated the importance of oriented and cross-regional group. One have not adhered to the Treaty should the Treaty to the Indonesian government of the priorities of the NPDI is also the do so at the earliest time, taking and parliamentary officials in addition to early entry into force of the CTBT. I particular note of the advantages of the promoting the CTBT at high-level bilateral sincerely hope that the international International Monitoring System (IMS) talks. I also heard that the mayors of the community, including civil society, data in the event of natural disasters. cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the unites behind the Treaty and that the international organization Mayors for year 2012 will bring us more good JAPAN HELPS TO ENHANCE Peace1 sent timely letters addressed to the news for the future of the CTBT. THE CTBTO’S ATM SYSTEM Chairman of the First Commission of the House of the Representatives of Indonesia BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE I have learned that the Government of in November 2011 to encourage the Japan has decided to make a voluntary country’s ratification. I strongly hope that YORIKO KAWAGUCHI contribution of roughly US$ 737,000 for other countries, inspired by Indonesia’s has been a Member of the House of the enhancement of the ATM system. positive move2, will follow suit. Councillors for the Liberal Democratic This amount covers approximately half Party since 2005. She was Co-Chair of the International Commission on of the total costs of one computer system I would like to urge the interna- Nuclear Non-Proliferation and and the enhancement of the data storage tional community to continue its hard Disarmament from 2008 to 2010; as estimated by the CTBTO. The ATM work and take united action so that Special Adviser to the Prime Minister system needs to be enhanced since it the Treaty can enter into force as soon of Japan, responsible for foreign provided objective CTBTO data during as possible. Amongst various groups affairs from 2004 to 2005; Minister for the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power of countries supporting disarmament Foreign Affairs from 2002 to 2004, and Minister for the Environment from plant accident as mentioned above and and non-proliferation, such as the 2000 to 2002. helped to prevent further damages Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the caused by rumours. Therefore, Japan Previous positions included Managing decided to lead the project concerning Director of Suntory Ltd, Director 1 Mayors for Peace was instigated by the mayors of Hiroshima the enhancement of the ATM system General of Global Environmental and Nagasaki in 1982 as a call for worldwide solidarity in an Affairs at the Ministry of International and to bear approximately half of the initiative to ban nuclear weapons.
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