Closing Session (August 5)

Closing Session (August 5) Presentation by National Government perceived utility of these weapons, and thus their Representative: desirability. Nuclear and non-nuclear States are both concerned by the probabilities of nuclear Miguel Ruiz-Cabañas Izquierdo proliferation. Therefore, I would like to reiterate Ambassador to Japan, United Mexican States the consistent position taken by Mexico and the New Agenda Coalition countries (consisting of Ladies and gentlemen, Brazil, Egypt, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, As a representative of the Government of South Africa and Sweden), during the Preparatory Mexico, I feel very much honored to participate in Committee for the 2010 Review Conference of the this important event which has become a Parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty cornerstone of the Japanese campaign in favor of (NPT), celebrated from April 30 to May 11, 2007: the abolition of nuclear weapons. It is imperative that all States Parties be held fully I also wish to transmit the message of solidarity accountable with respect to strict compliance with delivered by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of their obligations adopted during the 2000 Review Mexico, Mrs. Patricia Espinosa Cantellano, to the Conference of the NPT. Japanese people, and particularly to the citizens of The emerging doctrines emphasizing the Hiroshima and Nagasaki. importance of nuclear weapons not only to defense The Government of Mexico has been but also the offensive capabilities of States, by historically engaged with the causes of nuclear expanding the range of possible scenarios for use, disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear act as an incentive for nuclear weapon States to weapons, and in this spirit wishes to reiterate to develop new ones. The New Agenda Coalition the people and the Government of Japan its strong countries have underlined that States must refrain conviction on the need of total and definitive from developing nuclear weapons and must not elimination of nuclear weapons. These weapons adopt doctrines or systems that blur the distinction should not exist and neither constitute a threat to between nuclear and conventional weapons, or the life of all living beings in our planet due to their lower the nuclear threshold. very existence. Mexico has insisted that the preference of some The thousands of people that died because of countries to preserve the nuclear option as a key the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki component for their defense constitutes a trend in 1945, demand that the international community that can encourage other countries to modernize takes concrete actions and effective commitments their weapons and might lead to nuclear for assuring that such tragedy will never occur development by currently non nuclear states in again, and for avoiding nuclear weapons as part of order to gain deterrence capabilities. national defense policies and international security In this regard, my country welcomes the doctrines. actions of the British Government for the sake of a Mexico deplores the passing away of Mr. Iccho collective commitment against nuclear weapons by Ito, former Mayor of Nagasaki, and reiterates its reducing its own nuclear arsenals. Mexico condolences for the tragic act that ended the life of encourages this country and the international a distinguished and unflagging promoter of community to continue adopting creative and international peace that was always considered as significant policies as a testimony of the political a friend of Mexico. will of the States to construct a safe, peaceful and Mexico recognizes the heightened threat posed just world. by the access to mass destruction weapons by non- Mexico has contributed to the international state actors such as terrorist groups, and thus has community efforts in the field of non-proliferation contributed to the international efforts to eliminate in order to enhance international instruments on this risk. Nevertheless, it is also true that this fight this issue, and has also initiated an examination has not been accompanied by efforts directed process of the political mechanisms for trade towards nuclear disarmament. In this regard, my control, such as the Nuclear Suppliers Group. In country considers that the chances to reduce the this regard, Mexico has encouraged countries risk of proliferation depend on the possibility to engaged in nuclear activities to fulfill the effectively advance in the area of nuclear international commitments agreed in the disarmament. Disarmament and non-proliferation framework of the non-proliferation global regime. are mutually reinforcing processes. Genuine Now is time to look for alternative formulas to implementation of irreversible, verifiable and advance the disarmament agenda and to break the transparent nuclear weapon reductions, leading to impasse that prevails in the organizations dealing their total elimination, serves to diminish the with disarmament, especially in the Conference on Disarmament, the only multilateral disarmament Reports from Workshops: negotiating forum of the international community. Mexico encourages initiatives focused on the Workshop 1: “For the Swift Abolition abolition of nuclear weapons tests. In this regard, the Mexican Government underlines the of Nuclear Weapons” importance and urgency to achieve the early entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Beatrice Lemoine Treaty (CTBT) and exhorts all the States to uphold French Peace Movement and maintain moratorium on nuclear weapon test explosions, as well as to promote the installation of In the Workshop One: “For the Abolition of the international monitoring system of the Treaty. Nuclear Weapons,” 30 people in total took the Mexico has continued encouraging greater floor, including one question and answer, and one political coordination, as well as the strengthening message. First of all, we, chairpersons, wished the of Nuclear Weapons-Free-Zone regimes. As part workshop would be an opportunity to find of this effort, in April 2005, Mexico hosted the first practical ways to pursue the abolition of nuclear Conference of States that are Party or Signatory to weapons. It perhaps differed from what we first treaties that establish Nuclear Weapons-Free expected, but I leant from this workshop that if we Zones. We will call upon the nuclear States to fail to abolish nuclear weapons, we would be give total guarantees that they will adhere to such abolished. regimes and will avoid using their nuclear arsenals During the first half of the workshop: against the members of these Zones of peace, - A participant from Yamanashi said that the stability, and hope. greatest lie in the world is that peace comes My country has promoted the construction of a because of nuclear weapons. But he stressed peaceful and safe world. We are entirely that nothing is more important than human committed with the objectives of disarmament and lives; non-proliferation under the effective compliance of - The one from Niigata said that in order to the principles of transparency, verification and make Japan declare a nuclear free zone, his irreversibility. organization has met 61% of mayors and local Mexico will insist on the urgency to give strict authorities to support this movement, and 200 compliance to legally binding instruments calling celebrities signed to express their support, but for nuclear disarmament such as the Treaty on the it’s not enough. So his organization continues Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), to send postcards, which calls on Japan to and will firmly continue encouraging total and declare a nuclear-free zone, to the prime definitive elimination of nuclear weapons during minister; the 62nd session of the General Assembly of the - An Indian friend told us that there are 2 United Nations, the preparatory process for the aspects. One is non-proliferation, and the 2010 NPT Review Conference, the General other is the abolition of nuclear weapons. The Conference of the International Atomic Energy first one is important, whereas we have to Agency, and other international fora. spend time to management of non- Please accept the message of solidarity of the proliferation of nuclear weapons. India made Government of Mexico to the people and the the choice of non-nuclear weapons, so it’s Government of Japan and our most sincere possible for the world also to make the same; acknowledgement and support to your valuable - Some people emphasized the importance to works towards worldwide abolition of nuclear hold talks with young people, and some spoke weapons. Thank you. about nuclear accidents, and their movement to prevent their country from having nuclear weapons. One mentioned that it would be a great idea to concentrate particular activities on the USA, because it is an important place. For example, to carry an opinion-ad on newspapers like The Washington Post or New York Times to inform Americans of the tragedy of nuclear weapons; - Many Japanese participants in anger referred to the former Japanese Defense Minister who said, “Dropping of atomic bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was inevitable”; - A friend from the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Peace Committee of the District of Columbia suggested that peace activists urgently adopt recommendations set forth by Blix favor of nuclear materials. Thus, there is a Commission; defect of democracy in Norway, this delegate - About nuclear non-proliferation, one pointed out; suggested that we focus on profits of - We can also have a campaign against nuclear murderers and find ways how

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