Following is a draft version, which is subject to be updated or revised. Your comments and feedbacks are welcome!
In 2013, no new, remarkable commitment
toward a “total elimination of nuclear weapons” or a “world without nuclear
weapons” was set out by NWS, NNWS or nuclear-armed states. As mentioned in the Hiroshima Report 2012, no country,
including the NWS, openly opposes the goal of the total elimination of nuclear
weapons or the vision of a world without nuclear weapons.[1]
The Chairman’s Factual Summary of the 2013 NPT PrepCom also noted that the NPT
parties “recalled their resolve…to achieve the peace and security of a world
without nuclear weapons in accordance with the objectives of the Treaty.”[2]
However, it does not seem that nuclear-weapon/armed states actually set a goal
of an early achievement of a world without nuclear weapons, or even consider
their total elimination as a feasible, realistic goal. They have kept their
position that their nuclear weapons continue to play important roles for their
security policies at least in the foreseeable future. Deeper nuclear cuts in the short-run cannot be expected.
To achieve a total elimination of nuclear
weapons, massive reductions by the United States and Russia as two nuclear
superpowers are imperative. However, they have yet to commit a nuclear
reduction to the level below 500 each, which was, for example, proposed
in the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament
(ICNND) Report published in 2009,[3]
nor even to the level below 1,000 each, where it is considered that the other
nuclear-weapon/armed states may contemplate to join a multilateral nuclear
weapons reduction process. At the time of writing, few nuclear-weapon/armed
states are positive about starting such a process. For example, French
President François Hollande stated that France would not be involved in the
nuclear disarmament talks between Russia and the United States partly because France
has “certain obligations within NATO, including nuclear containment” and partly
because it “must provide independence of our territory, its security.”[4]
China also stated that “[c]ountries with the largest nuclear arsenals bear
special and primary responsibility for nuclear disarmament,”[5]
indicating that Russian and the United States should reduce their nuclear
weapons significantly, prior to the other nuclear-weapon/armed states’
participations in multilateral nuclear reductions.
A) Voting behavior on the UNGA resolutions on nuclear disarmament proposed by Japan, NAC and NAM
The UN General Assembly (UNGA) held in 2013
has also adopted the following resolutions: “United action towards the total
elimination of nuclear weapons”[6]
promoted by Japan; “Towards a nuclear-weapon-free world: accelerating the
implementation of nuclear disarmament commitments”[7]
proposed by the New Agenda Coalition (NAC); and “Nuclear disarmament”[8]
of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) members. The voting behavior of the countries
surveyed in this project on the three resolutions at the UNGA in 2013 is
presented below.
Ø “United action towards the total elimination of nuclear weapons”
² Proposing: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands,
South Korea, Switzerland, Turkey, the United States and others
² 169 in favor, 1 Against (North Korea), 14 Abstentions (Brazil,
China, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, Russia, Syria and others)
Ø “Towards a nuclear-weapon-free world: accelerating the
implementation of nuclear disarmament commitments”
² Proposing: Brazil, Egypt, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa and
others
² 171 in favor, 7 Against (France, India, Israel, North Korea, Russia,
the U.K. and the U.S.), 5 Abstentions (China, Pakistan and others)
Ø “Nuclear disarmament”
² Proposing: Indonesia, Iran and others
² 122 in favor, 44 Against (Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany,
Israel, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Turkey, the U.K., the U.S. and others),
17 Abstentions (Austria, India, Japan, New Zealand, Pakistan, Russia, South
Africa, South Korea, Sweden and others)
B) Voting behavior on the UNGA resolutions calling for commitment of negotiations on a Nuclear Weapons Convention
The UNGA Resolution titled “Follow-up to the
advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the Legality of the
Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons”[9]
says “by commencing multilateral negotiations leading to an early conclusion of
a nuclear weapons convention” all states should implement the obligation in
Article VI of the NPT. The voting behavior at the UNGA in 2013 is presented
below.
Ø Proposing: Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Mexico and others
Ø 133 in favor, 24 Against (Belgium, France, Germany, Israel,
Netherlands, Russia, Turkey, the U.K., the U.S. and others), 25 Abstentions (Australia,
Canada, Japan, Norway, South Korea, Sweden and others)
The International Campaign to Abolish
Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) has conducted a study on states’ responses to the
proposal of negotiating a Nuclear Weapons Convention in 2012. According to the
ICAN report and its website, among the countries surveyed for this project,
Belgium, France, Israel, Netherlands, Russia, Turkey, the United Kingdom and
the United States “don’t support” the NWC, while Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan,
South Korea and Sweden are “on the fence” (undecided).[10]
(Drafted by Hirofumi Tosaki, CPDNP)
[1] North Korea stated that “[i]t is humankind’s common will and desire
to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons through its comprehensive and total
elimination of nuclear weapons” at the UN General Assembly in September 2013. At
the same time, it also argued that “if the denuclearization on the Korean
Peninsula is to be accomplished, the U.S nuclear threats against the DPRK should
be removed once and for all.” “Statement by North Korea,” at the General Debate
of the First Committee of the 68th session of the United Nations General
Assembly, October 14, 2013.
[2] NPT/CONF.2015/PC.II/CRP.2, 2 May 2013.
[3] International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and
Disarmament, Eliminating Nuclear Threats:
A Practical Agenda for Global Policymakers, 2009, p. 187.
[4] “France Reluctant to be Involved in Russia-U.S. Nuclear Disarmament
Talks,” Xinhua News Agency, February
28, 2013, http://www.nzweek.com/world/france-reluctant-to-be-involved-in-russia-u-s-nuclear-disarmament-talks-51805/.
[5] China, “Statement,” at the General Debate in the Second Session of
the Preparatory Committee for the 2015 NPT Review Conference, April 22, 2013.
[6] A/RES/68/51, 5 December 2013.
[7] A/RES/68/39, 5 December 2013.
[8] A/RES/68/47, 5 December 2013.
[9] A/RES/68/42, 5 December 2013.
[10] Tim Wright, “Towards a Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapons: A Guide to
Government Position on a Nuclear Weapons Convention,” International Campaign to
Abolish Nuclear Weapons, January 2012; “National Positions on a Ban,” International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear
Weapons, http://www.icanw.org/why-a-ban/positions/.
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