Statement

Today, on January 22, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) enters into force, rendering nuclear weapons illegal for the first time in history. From today, this international law prohibits all activities involving nuclear weapons, including their use, possession, threat to use, development and testing.

The entry into force of the TPNW is an historic accomplishment, to which joint efforts of the Hibakusha of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and civil society in and out of Japan, with an overwhelming majority of governments of the world, made great contribution, tirelessly appealing, “No more Hiroshimas, No more Nagasakis” and “Abolish nuclear weapons”. We wholeheartedly welcome the entry into force of the treaty.

With the coming into force of the TPNW, our struggle for the abolition of nuclear weapons is entering a new stage. We must make 2021 a year of great advance to realize a world without nuclear weapons, building on the TPNW as leverage.

Under the COVID-19 pandemic, clinging onto nuclear weapons by major nuclear weapon states, including the U.S. and Russia, is placing human community in greater crisis. A nuclear weapon-free world is a common goal of the international community. These nuclear- armed states must take the lead in achieving it. Especially, they should make sincere effort to make progress in nuclear disarmament towards the 10th NPT Review Conference in August, and the First Conference of States Parties to the TPNW to be held later this year.

We call on all anti-nuclear peace movements and civil society organizations in the nuclear- armed states as well as “nuclear umbrella” states to launch actions in solidarity to urge their own governments to join the TPNW.

In achieving a nuclear weapon-free world with the TPNW as leverage, the role of Japan, the only country to have suffered the atomic bombing, will be critically important. However, the Japanese government has refused the TPNW. In his administrative policy speech delivered to the January Ordinary Diet Session, Prime Minister Suga did not utter a word about the TPNW in spite of the treaty going into force, and even stated in the press conference that he had no intension to sign it.

Changing Japan into a country to play a role befitting the A-bombed country is an international mission the Japanese peace movement should fulfill. Japan’s accession to the TPNW commands a majority support from the Japanese people. In order to achieve this task, we call on all the people of Japan to join and develop the “Signature Campaign to Urge the Japanese Government to Sign and Ratify the TPNW” into a broad-based national movement.