Isaac G. & Ezekiel Zik Kuni
The Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons which began in Austria on the first day, many parties expressed strong sense of crisis that Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine increased the threat of nuclear weapons and the treaty aimed at eliminating nuclear weapons. Emphasized the significance of. On the second day, NATO = members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization who are attending as observers will also make a speech and the remarks will be watched.
At the beginning, the chairman of the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kument, said, “Every debate over nuclear weapons is going in the wrong direction,” and is wary of the threat of nuclear weapons and the growing debate over nuclear deterrence in each country. I showed a feeling.
Following the speeches of the Parties, most countries said that New Zealand’s representative said, “President Putin’s threat to use nuclear weapons is pushing us back to the brink of a nuclear catastrophe.” He expressed a sense of crisis about the growing threat of nuclear weapons due to Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine and emphasized the significance of the treaty aimed at eliminating nuclear weapons.
According to Chairman Kument, 33 non-participating countries have announced their attendance at the conference as observers, and at the second day of the meeting from the afternoon of the 22nd of Japan time, NATO’s major countries Germany and the Netherlands Etc. will give a speech.
In addition, on the second day, the A-bomb survivors attending from Nagasaki will give testimony, and procedures for involving nuclear-weapon states in the treaty in the future, support for victims of nuclear weapons and nuclear tests, etc. will be discussed. Will be done.
Mr. Kument, Director General of Arms Control, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Austria who chairs the Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, responded to an interview with journalists prior to the conference.
Mr. Kument has been working on the issue of disarmament at the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for about 20 years, and in 2014 he also chaired an international conference focusing on the inhumanity of nuclear weapons, and is central to the realization of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Has played a major role.
Mr. Kument welcomed the fact that the conference could be held even though it was repeatedly postponed due to the spread of the new corona infection, “It is the first opportunity for parties to meet together after the treaty comes into effect and it is a new phase for the treaty.” Did.
Also, regarding the current situation where there is widespread concern about the actual use of nuclear weapons following Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, “If the world understands the humanitarian effects of nuclear weapons and the extremely serious risks of possessing nuclear weapons, nuclear weapons You will find that the idea of deterrence is just an illusion. Now is the time to discuss the ban on nuclear weapons, “he reiterated the significance of the treaty.
Meanwhile, the ICAN = International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, an international NGO that contributed to the establishment of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017, held a rally on the 20th, the day before the Conference of the Parties, inviting members from all over the world.
Members of the national affairs from more than 10 countries participated in the rally, including members of Japan who did not participate in the treaty and members of Germany and Belgium who are members of the NATO = North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Among them, a German ruling party member said, “It is very important to be able to discuss and share information with members of other countries,” and a Belgian ruling party member also said, “Belgium, a NATO member, has a nuclear weapons ban treaty. I’m under strong pressure not to participate in the event. I don’t know when it will be, and it may be difficult, but I hope that one day I will be able to sign and ratify the treaty. ” ..
ICAN Secretary-General Finn said, “The biggest challenge is to turn the fierce anger of nuclear threats and the anxieties people have about nuclear weapons into political power. We must not allow the tone of “solving the problem with nuclear weapons.” He pointed out that now that the use of nuclear weapons is becoming a reality, it is necessary to accelerate discussions at the citizen level on how to deal with nuclear weapons..
The first meeting of the Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which came into effect in January last year, began in Belgium, the capital of Austria, on the 21st. Germany and Belgium are attending as observers.
On the 21st of the first day, Mayor Matsui of Hiroshima City and Mayor Tagami of Nagasaki City gave speeches.
Of these, Mayor Matsui of Hiroshima City said, “The earnest feelings of the A-bomb survivors, ‘Don’t let anyone feel this way,’ are common to those who are now suffering from the tragic war. Although it is a steep road to respond to that desire, there is only the progress of nuclear disarmament and the abolition of nuclear weapons beyond that. “
He also argued that in order to make the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons effective, it is urgent to increase the number of ratifying countries and raise awareness of the inhumanity of nuclear weapons and the uncertainty of nuclear weapons management among nuclear-weapon states. rice field.
After the speech, Mayor Matsui said about the Japanese government, which did not participate in the conference, “I would like to confirm the ideas of the countries that are participating as observers in a situation similar to Japan and create an environment where Japan can participate.” talked.
Mayor Tagami of Nagasaki said, “The significance of this nuclear weapons ban treaty is very large now that we are exposed to the ‘crisis of the use of nuclear weapons’, keeping in mind the situation in Ukraine where Russia is concerned about the use of nuclear weapons. I feel. Now that we are feeling the crisis, preventing the use of nuclear weapons and the threat of nuclear weapons is a principle of action that can be shared by countries that do not agree with the treaty. ” I appealed that it should be lively.
On top of that, “Please break open the memories you want to keep in the depths of your heart, remember the voices of the A-bomb survivors who continued to speak, and change your courage. We cannot share the experience of the A-bomb survivors, which is the origin of the treaty, The thoughts of the A-bomb survivors can be shared. Now that the danger of creating a third war-bombed area is increasing, we will work together under the slogan “Make Nagasaki the last A-bombed area” that the A-bomb survivors have complained about. Let’s spread the chain of sympathy that “never use nuclear weapons” all over the world. “
After the speech by Mayor Taue, applause was sent from the representatives of each country.
After giving a speech, Mayor Tagami was asked by the press about the fact that the Government of Japan did not participate as an observer. “I am sorry that the Government of Japan did not participate this time. The Conference of the Parties is held regularly. I would like you to consider it from the participation of observers. “
At the venue, in parallel with the conference, the “Mayors for Peace” and NGOs created by local governments in Japan and overseas aiming to abolish nuclear weapons held events, and the atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki appealed to the actual situation of the atomic bombing.
In this, Masashi Iejima (80), who was bombed in Hiroshima, explained that a piece of window glass scattered by the blast pierced the mother’s body in an instant. , Leading to the ruin of humankind. Nuclear weapons and humankind cannot coexist. “
In addition, Ryoka Nakamura, a third-year university student whose grandmother was bombed in Nagasaki, said, “This treaty not only bans nuclear weapons, but also helps to share a humanitarian spirit around the world to protect human dignity. I strongly believe that it will be. “
A woman from Croatia who attended the event said, “I was very sad to hear the story of the A-bomb survivors, but I’m glad I could hear it. I hope there will be no war or nuclear weapons because there was a war in my own country.”
in other developments
The United Nation Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated a call for nuclear disarmament, warning of the possibility of using more than 13,000 nuclear weapons held by the world’s states.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said this in a video message which he sent to the meeting of the states party to the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons held in Vienna.
Noting that “nuclear weapons are a deadly reminder of states’ inability to solve problems through dialogue and cooperation,” Guterres called on the international community to “once again and for all abandon these deadly weapons.”
The UN Secretary General said, “Let’s destroy these weapons before they destroy us. The terrible lessons of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are being erased from our memories.”
Guterres said that with more than 13,000 nuclear weapons around the world, the previously unimaginable danger of nuclear conflict is among the possibilities.
84 countries signed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
Referring to the treaty signed by UN countries for nuclear disarmament, Guterres said, “TPNW is an important joint step towards the aspiration for a nuclear-free world. Because this treaty also prohibits developing, testing, manufacturing, acquiring and stockpiling nuclear weapons,” Guterres said. he said.
The Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty, which aims to destroy nuclear weapons all over the world and to ban new ones, despite the opposition of the nuclear weapons holders USA, Russia, United Kingdom, China, France, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel, was signed by the 193-member UN on 7 July 2017. It was accepted at the General Assembly with the approval of 122 countries.
While 84 countries have signed the treaty, which was opened for signature on September 20, 2017, 50 of the countries that signed the treaty pledged not to develop, test, manufacture, acquire or stockpile nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices under any circumstances.
Also the Senegalese President Macky Sall, has reacted to Russias exclusion from SWIFT stating that they could not make payments because Russia was removed from the SWIFT system and that they wanted the system similar to the one used by Europe for natural gas payment to be implemented for wheat and fertilizer.
Pointing out that they did not take sides in the Russia-Ukraine war, Sall stated that his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 3rd was necessary to serve Africa and his country Senegal.
Emphasizing that wheat and fertilizer imports to Africa had stopped due to the war,Sall drew attention to the urgent need for fertilizers, especially in this process.
“There may be a serious food crisis in African countries “
AfB Term President Sall warned that there is a period of approximately 1.5 months for the use of fertilizers and that if they cannot reach the fertilizer within this period, a serious food crisis may occur in some African countries, since wheat production in Africa will not be efficient.
Noting that Western countries and European Union (EU) sanctions also worsened the food crisis due to the war, Sall noted that they could not pay Russia, which was removed from the SWIFT system.
Sall, “We want to make payments, but for now this has become impossible. We demand the same system that Europe uses for natural gas and oil,” he said.
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