11-23-08, 9:34 am

Original source: Akahata (Japan)

The new international signature campaign launched in August at the World Conference against A & H Bombs, 'Toward the 2010 NPT Review Conference – Appeal for a Nuclear-Free World,' is gaining support.

Eight years have passed since the 2000 NPT Review Conference, in which nuclear weapons states agreed on an 'unequivocal undertaking' to completely eliminate their nuclear arsenals. As US President George W. Bush, who has obstructed the fulfillment of the promise, is leaving office amid growing criticism of his domestic and foreign policies, Barack Obama called for a nuclear-free world and won the US presidential election. Calls for a rapid advance toward abolishing nuclear weapons and for a movement toward the next NPT Review Conference are increasing.

Start negotiating now

Obama's promise of 'change' includes the issue of nuclear weapons. Candidate Obama and the Democratic Party platform call for the pursuit of 'a nuclear-free world' and progress toward nuclear disarmament, including ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). It is noteworthy that the Democratic Party platform stated: 'America will be safer in a world that is reducing reliance on nuclear weapons and ultimately eliminates all of them. We will make the goal of eliminating nuclear weapons worldwide a central element of US nuclear weapons policy.'

However, it also contradictorily states, 'We will maintain a strong and reliable deterrent as long as nuclear weapons exist.' If the world's largest nuclear power claims it needs to maintain nuclear deterrence on the grounds that other nations have nuclear weapons, there can be no prospect for abolishing nuclear weapons. The Bush administration has maintained a policy of creating the worst form of nuclear deterrence. While maintaining nuclear weapons ostensibly to serve the national security, it has a pre-emptive attack strategy that includes the possible use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states as an option on the pretext of preventing nuclear proliferation. It started the Iraq War as part of this strategy.

The world is demanding an end of this policy as clear from discussions this autumn at the United Nations.

At the UN General Assembly First Committee, which discusses disarmament and security issues, New Agenda Coalition countries made clear that they do not agree with the argument that the possession of nuclear weapons by particular countries serves to strengthen peace and security in the world. They say that it will increase the danger of the possible use of nuclear weapons and the emergence of new nuclear weapons states. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his speech pointed out how dangerous the doctrine of nuclear deterrence is. He called for a fresh start on the path toward strengthening international peace and security based on the UN Charter and united political will.

Breaking away from nuclear deterrence and making an effort to abolish nuclear weapons is called for as the main task for world peace. The consistent call of the Japanese Movement against A & H Bombs has become the main current of the world peace movement, and it is wielding influence on the major nuclear power. The new signature campaign calls on nuclear weapons states to honor the promise of an 'unequivocal undertaking' as well as governments of all countries to 'agree to commence and conclude negotiations of a treaty to totally ban and eliminate nuclear weapons without delay.' This is the call of the present-day world.

International movement is the foundation

The decisive power to achieve this, as expressed by representatives of the UN and governments at this year's World Conference against A & H Bombs, is the power of united grassroots movements. It will be accomplished by the cooperation between the peoples' movements and efforts by the majority of governments in the world that have made the promise that they will not possess nuclear weapons under the NPT and are urging nuclear weapons states to fulfill their obligation to eliminate nuclear weapons.

It is of great importance to bring the signature campaign, which is gaining international support, to a successful conclusion by increasing the solidarity among various grassroots movements worldwide before the next NPT Review Conference.

Signed appeals can be sent to Gensuikyo, 2-4-4 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8464, Japan or AFSC, Peace & Economic Security Program, 2161 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140 USA