The Swiss government has asked Japan to endorse a joint statement addressed to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, urging all states to prohibit the use of atomic weapons under any circumstances.
The statement was authored by Switzerland and 14 other countries at the Second Session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2015 Review Conference of NPT parties, according to Kyodo News.
“It is in the interest of the very survival of humanity that nuclear weapons are never used again, under any circumstances,” according to the draft obtained by Kyodo.
Authors of the statement had reportedly refrained from using the word “outlaw” in a bid to encourage Japan’s endorsement, reports Japan Times.
However, some Foreign Ministry officials in Tokyo, including those in charge of security policy, are opposed to endorsing the joint statement, a move that could drew fierce criticism at home and abroad for the Japanese government.
In October, Japan did not join a UN committee on disarmament’s initiative calling on all states to step up efforts to outlaw nuclear arms, citing its nuclear deterrence policy.
Support for nuclear power in Japan has plummeted since the Fukushima nuclear crisis in 2011, which sparked anti-nuclear protests across the country.
