(July 26, '97)

The United Nations Conference on Disarmament in Sapporo came to an end on July 25, persuing the way to bring the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) effective.

Through lively discussions continued for four days, the boiling point of confrontations in the international society, in the way of nuclear disarmament clearly emerged.

In the conference, the issue on the control of conventional weapons was also discussed, in order to cope with the situation that regional conflicts have been breaking out through out the world.

In the Plenary Session held on the last day of the program, two reports were submitted from the two working groups.

One group, chaired by Indian Professor Brahma Chellaney of the Center for Policy Research, stated that "As long as people think of nuclear weapons as beneficial to the secutiry of a country, they will not be abolished. This is the opinion shared by the majority of participants." He pointed out that the world holds a pessimistic view for the abolition of nuclear weapons.

The Director of the United Nations Center for Disarmament Affairs, Mr. Prvoslav Davinic concluded, "Both nuclear weapons and conventional weapons are the first priority for disarmament talks." He emphasized that a possibility of nuclear war between the superpowers has been breaking out one after another. Under such situation, the agenda in the filed of disarmament also has to be changed.

At the same time, Mr. Davinic refered to the current deadlock situation of nuclear disarmament which can not envisage the effective date of the CTBT yet. And he appealed that "The present stockpiles of nuclear weapons are still very high. Further reduction must be our aim and we should make continual efforts."

Throughout the conference, there were confrontations between the non-nuclear powers, who appealed for nuclear disarmament and abolition, and the nuclear powers who took precedence over the international nuclear non-proliferation.

Mr. Davinic stated, "It is important to advance disarmament balancing the two sides.

(July 23, '97)

The United States, who willfully carried out a subcritical nuclear test and India, who strongly demands to the have countries a specific schedule for the abolition of nuclear weapons had heated arguments over nuclear disarmament in the United Nations Conference on Disarmament Issues held on July 22. It clearly indicated that the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) will not come into effect easily.

The intense discussion was observed between Ambassador Ralph Earle, Deputy Director, United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency and Dr. Brahma Chellaney, Professor of Security Studies at the Center for Policy Research (India).

"A city like Rome can't be built in a day." Ambassador Earle criticized India softly. India has continually been rejecting to sign the CTBT. The way to the abolition of nuclear weapons should be promoted step by step. It should be done by seperate negotiations with each country. He claimed that it could not be done so quickly, not something that you could achieve when you stand alone."

Professor Chellaney challenged Ambassador Earle by saying that "The power attracts power. There is a country conducting underground nuclear test with a sophisticated technical skill. It may trigger an occurrence of a new nuclear arms developing race. 8 years have passed since the end of the Cold War, but now a seed for a new Cold War era is about to be sowed." He blamed the United States for the subcritical nuclear test.

The argument continued by responding to the questions raised from the floor. Ambassador Earle said, "The subcritcal nuclear test doesn't violate the spirit of the CTBT. The United States needs to determine the minimum number of nuclear weapons, we can't close the nuclear test site."

Professor Chellaney assented that there was no possibility for India joining the CTBT. He said, "Despite the existence of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), nuclear weapons proliferates. In spite of the CTBT, the testing continues. The treaty has full of deceptions. India has nothing to do with it."

In the U.N. disarmament conferences held in Japan, participants usually exchange opinions more freely and as an individual person, but the two continued to argue as government representatives.

The mayor of Hiroshima, Takashi Hiraoka and Professor Mitsuru Kurosawa, University of Osaka, Graduate School, who protested over the subcritical nuclear test, showed disappointment. "Ambassador Earle and Professor Chellaney are only repeating their government policy", said the two.

(July 23, '97)

Mayor Takashi Hiraoka made a congratulatory address at the United Nations conference on Disarmament Issues in Sapporo. The summary is as follows.

The designation of the A-bomb Dome as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site and the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) stating that "the use or threat of nuclear weapons would generally be contrary to the rules of international law," indicate that the international movement toward a world without nuclear weapons is becoming a powerful force.

Nevertheless, on July 3 this year, ignoring the expressed desire of the international community for the abolition of nuclear weapons and repeated calls by Hiroshima and Nagasaki cities and bomb survivors organizations for a ban on testing, the United States willfully conducted a sub-critical nuclear test.

The United States claims that these tests do not violate the CTBT because they involve no nuclear explosion, and they are necessary for ensuring the reliability and safety of its nuclear stockpile. However, as such tests clearly express the U.S. intent to continue to possess nuclear weapons, they endanger effectuation of the CTBT and threaten to destroy the NPT structure. We deeply fear that these tests will trigger a resumption of the nuclear arms race.

The U.S. has indicated its intent to conduct five more sub-critical nuclear tests; according to the NPT structure, however, nuclear powers bear a special responsibility for nuclear disarmament. Thus, we feel that the internatioal community should take more aggressive steps toward nuclear disarmament.

We urge for the conclusion of the cut-off Treaty, banning the production of weapons-grade nuclear material, the global-level expansion of the nuclear weapon-free-zone, and signing treaties prohibiting the first use, then all use of nuclear weapons. We also desire for the early relization of the 4th United Nations Special Sessions on Disarmament by the year 2000.

I end my remarks with the prayer that the earnest discussion and keen exchange of opinions here will add momentum toward the abolition of nuclear weapons.

(July 22, '97)

The United Nations Conference on Disarmament Issues in Sapporo was opened at the Park Hotel in the city's Chuo-Ward on July 22. Following the conclusion of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), the issues on disarmament were actively discussed.

A total of 101 participants including the officials, researchers and observers spcializing in disarmament took part in the conference from 32 countries. The participants will exchange opinions till July 25 on the theme of disarmament and regional security.

The opening ceremony started from 10:00a.m., Mr. Prvoslav Davnic, Director of the, United Nations Center for Disarmament Affairs, said in his address that "Since the end of the cold war, the international environment has been undergoing a major tranformation. We have seen international relations move away from confrontation to conciliation, from suspicion to confidence building, from bloc rivalry to regional cooperation. Paradoxically, however, we have, at the same time, witnessed an unprecedented rise in the outbreak of regional and subregional conflict, mostly internal and fueled by ethnic, racial, religious and nationalist animosties. Thus, for all practical purposes, disarmament and arms control have become an inseparable part of the broader system of the global security environment."

Hiroshima Mayor Takashi Hiraoka joined the conference and applealed. "It is very regrettable that the United States willfully conducted a subcritical nuclear test ignorning the expressed desire of the international community for the abolition of nuclear weapons and repeated calls from Hiroshima and Nagasaki cities for a ban of treaty." He made four proposal such as the expansion of nuclear free zones and urged for the early realization on the United States Special Sessions on Disarmament.

Ambassador Ralph Earle II, the Deputy Director of the United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency reported the government policy on nuclear disarmament. Participants from U.S., India and Japan also reported each country's polies in the Plenary Session.

This is the 9th time for Japan to host the U.N.disarmament conference. The first conference in Japan convened in 1989. Being apart from the U.N.conference in Geneva, Switzerland, the conference held in Japan was convened to offer the opportunity for more candid and active discussions. Sapporo City hosted the conference for the first time.