-> Japanese appeal

The world today is at a critical crossroads between the danger to lead from devastation and escalating conflicts to human extinction and the possibility of resolving conflicts and living in peace and security.
Izumi Nakamitsu, the United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Affairs (Under-Secretary-General) told in her speech on October 3, 2022, at the beginning of the first day of the general debate of this term (the 77th session) of the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) of the United Nations General Assembly that “the existential dangers posed by nuclear weapons were back in the global spotlight”, appealed to all states in possession of nuclear weapons “to commit to no first use of any nuclear weapon” as an immediate measure to help save humanity from potential extinction and called for an end to the “devastating and senseless war” in Ukraine.
Earlier, at the Peace Memorial Ceremony held in Hiroshima on August 6, 2022 António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, also appealed, “Countries with nuclear weapons must commit to the “no first use” of those weapons.”
We, the Committee of Seven to Appeal for World Peace, support the appeal of Secretary-General Guterres and Representative Nakamitsu for no first use commitment to nuclear weapons. We urge the leaders of the United States of America, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the French Republic, the State of Israel, the Republic of India, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to immediately commit to no first use of nuclear weapons.
We appreciate that the People’s Republic of China is the only country that has declared no first use of nuclear weapons among the nuclear weapon states, and we request sincerely their concrete leadership for reduction of the role of nuclear weapons, their abolition, and the easing of tensions and friendship with neighboring countries.
Furthermore, we are unacceptable that the Japanese government has persisted in relying on the extended deterrence by nuclear weapons, contrary to the desire of the majority of the Japanese people to abolish nuclear weapons, and that it has strongly opposed the possible adoption of the United States’ policy of no first use of nuclear weapons. A country with a policy that does not deny dependence on nuclear weapons or preemptive strikes on “enemy countries” may become the target of nuclear or preemptive strikes from other countries. This waives the government’s responsibility to protect its citizens and increases the risk of putting them at risk. We urge the Japanese government to make a drastic change from a security policy centered on expanding armaments to a policy of strengthening diplomatic efforts.

PDF Appeal→155e.pdf