Less Support for Resolution on Nuclear Elimination

United Nations General Assembly First Committee dealing with disarmament and international security passed a resolution for “United action with renewed determination towards the total elimination of nuclear weapons” with 144 votes in favor on Friday. While the only country in the world that had suffered from nuclear devastation, Japan, took initiative for it, its supporters were significantly reduced from last year. The reason was clear: Because it was too weak.

Japan has been making proposal for the resolution for these consecutive 24 years in UN. Although it received approvals from some nuclear powers such as United States, United Kingdom or France, four countries, Russia, China, Syria and North Korea, opposed it. 27 countries abstained, including 15 that changed their attitude from yes last year to no this time. Those 15 included Brazil or Australia that led the move for Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons this summer. The resolution lost 23 supporters from 167 last year.

The resolution has critically been changed from that a year ago. “Reaffirms, in this regard, the unequivocal undertaking of the nuclear weapons States to accomplish the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals, leading to nuclear disarmament,” said the resolution last year. The resolution this year changed the sentence after “States” into “to fully implement the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.” As NPT does not prohibit use of nuclear weapons, the nuclear powers refused compromise to include the expression of “total elimination.”

Another retreat was exclusion of one word of “any.” The word was vanished from the resolution last year: “Expressing deep concern at the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons.” That expression can lead to an interpretation that allows use of nuclear weapons namely for self-defense. Permanent Representative of New Zealand, Dell Higgie, abstained because he was “disappointed with fundamental derailment from past resolutions.”

Japan has been the frontrunner for international movement on nuclear disarmament. It significantly eroded the reputation as an anti-nuclear nation by rejecting Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Shinzo Abe administration has been careful not to infuriate US by supporting the treaty, with a hope to stay under its nuclear umbrella. Abe believes that keeping US support for Japan’s security policy may generate his political agenda of constitutional amendment, which will enhance the role of Japanese Self-defense Force. Japan is losing its cause as a peaceful nation.