We, participants from all over Japan and 20 other countries, assembled at the first World Conference against A and H Bombs of the 21st century, send this letter to the United Nations and each of its member States Governments in the hope that a nuclear weapon-free world will be swiftly achieved.

The NPT Review Conference held in the final year of the 20th century, agreed by consensus, including the nuclear weapons states, on an “unequivocal undertaking to accomplish the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals”. The UN Millennium Assembly, supporting the “unequivocal undertaking”, adopted resolutions calling for the elimination of nuclear weapons. This shows that the call of the atomic bomb sufferers, that “the error of the 20th century must not be repeated in the 21st century” has been widely embraced by the international community.

However, some nuclear weapons states are still motivated to maintain and modernize their nuclear forces. The so-called missile defense program intended to reinforce “nuclear deterrence”, weaponization of outer space, and the attempt to hamper the CTBT entering into force are in contravention of their promise to eliminate nuclear weapons. Threatening the world with overwhelmingly destructive nuclear forces and putting narrow national interests above global concerns is incompatible with the international order based on peace and justice, established by the UN Charter.

Recalling that the “the elimination of atomic weapons from national arsenals” was set forth in the first resolution of the UN General Assembly as a fundamental principle, we call on the UN and each of its member states Governments to swiftly put into action the “unequivocal undertaking to accomplish the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals”. For this, consultations and negotiations on a treaty totally banning and eliminating nuclear weapons must be started without delay. We therefore propose that a decision to start such negotiations be adopted by the coming UN General Assembly and other negotiating bodies.

August 9, 2001
World Conference against A & H Bombs-Nagasaki