Japanese Trade Union Confederation (RENGO)

Appeal: To make a strong protest over the breakdown of the Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)

The 2005 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) which was held at the United Nation in New York from 2-27 May broke down and closed without adopting a Final Document. We, as the atomic bomb victim nation who seeks the abolition of nuclear weapons, strongly protest as this is the worst outcome.

The 2000 Review Conference of NPT adopted the Final Document which specifies the 13 articles toward the nuclear disarmament such as an “unequivocal undertaking” to eliminate all nuclear arsenals of nuclear weapon states and an early entry into force of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). Thus international opinion had great expectations of making progress toward the abolition of nuclear weapons. Responding to the “promise”, the Mayors for Peace Conference proposed the “2020 Vision” and appealed for concrete steps towards the abolition of nuclear weapons.

RENGO, GENSUIKIN and KAKKIN, three organisations support the “2020 vision” and campaigned to collect 10 million signatures demanding an abolition of nuclear weapons. As the “New York Action for the abolition of Nuclear Weapons”, we send a joint delegation to New York in order to make an appeal on the streets in New York City where the Review Conference met and we brought the voice of the atomic bomb victim country with 8.5 million signatures to the headquarters of the United Nation.

The recent NPT Review Conference not only pulled back the 2000 agreement but also failed to have responsible discussions and to work out its direction on issues such as the withdrawal of North Korea from the Treaty and its development of nuclear weapons, suspicions of Iran’s nuclear development and “the nuclear black market”. Meanwhile, many countries criticised the move to make CTBT a dead letter and US’s position to advance development of small-sized nuclear weapons at the Review Conference. The position of the United States, the nuclear super power, is against the stream of world peace and this is not acceptable.

Although the outcome of the recent NPT Review Conference was regrettable, it does not necessarily undermine the movement and the people’s wish to abolish nuclear weapons. The ICFTU which has 150 million members in 155 countries held an international meeting for trade unions aiming at the abolition of the nuclear weapons in conjunction with Rengo at the UN Church Centre in New York on May 3. This is the first significant concrete action aiming at the abolition of nuclear weapons which the international trade union movement organised since the end of the world war 60 years ago.

This year marks 60 years after the suffering from the atomic bombs in Japan. We need to send our appeal of No more Hiroshimas, No more Nagasakis, No more Hibakushas (atomic bomb victims) to the world from Japan, as the atomic bomb victim country and realise the abolition of nuclear weapons. Rengo, GENSUIKIN and KAKKIN will further unite and continue persevering efforts on this matter with the cooperation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.