Summary:
- It has been requested that the upcoming G7 Summit, which will take place in Hiroshima, Japan from May 19 to May 21, take the initiative to promote policies of “No First Use” of nuclear weapons.
- The G7 Summit in Hiroshima needs to produce concrete plans for negotiations that will lead to a stop of hostilities, and it also needs to commit to taking the lead in discussions on pledges of no first use of nuclear weapons.
- They are dedicated, in their roles as members of civil society, to the promotion of the quick adoption of policies of No First Use of nuclear weapons, which will generate momentum to transform our age.
- The G7 Summit is scheduled to take place in Hiroshima, Japan from May 19 to 21, and in the midst of calls for the resolution of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, a proposal has been put forward to involve representatives of civil society as observers in the negotiations for a complete cessation of hostilities.
- The current crisis in Ukraine has generated concerns about the ongoing threat of nuclear weapons use, and the G7 Summit presents an opportunity to take tangible actions towards the reduction of this risk.
Calls for peace are piling up as the Ukraine conflict enters its second year and continues to wreck havoc on the country and have an effect on the world. It has been requested that the upcoming G7 Summit, which will take place in Hiroshima, Japan from May 19 to May 21, take the initiative to promote policies of “No First Use” of nuclear weapons. The heads of state or government of the most powerful industrial nations, such as the United States of America, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Canada, will participate in the summit.
An emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly was held earlier this year. During that session, a resolution was adopted that called for the “immediate cessation of attacks on the critical infrastructure of Ukraine and any deliberate attacks on civilian objects, including those that are residences, schools, and hospitals.” This resolution brought to light the critical need for peace and highlighted the urgency of the situation.
According to the recommendation made by the President of Soka Gakkai International (SGI), Daisaku Ikeda, representatives of civil society, such as physicians and educators who work in schools and hospitals, should be allowed to join as observers as the peace negotiations proceed.
Russia and China urge an end to actions prolonging Ukraine crisis in joint statement
After their summit meeting in March, the presidents of Russia and China published a joint statement in which they called for an end to all actions that contribute to the escalation of tensions and the prolongation of conflict in order to prevent the crisis from becoming even more severe or even spiralling out of control. This is consistent with the resolution that was passed by the General Assembly of the United Nations.
The G7 Summit in Hiroshima needs to produce concrete plans for negotiations that will lead to a stop of hostilities, and it also needs to commit to taking the lead in discussions on pledges of no first use of nuclear weapons. Both of these tasks are necessary in order for the summit to be successful. The President of the SGI, Daisaku Ikeda, emphasised the inhumane nature of nuclear weapons and the fact that the world has been able to keep a record of non-use of nuclear weapons for the past seventy-seven years thanks to the efforts of the hibakusha, states that do not possess nuclear weapons, and states that do possess nuclear weapons but who have exercised self-restraint. This record was achieved over the course of seventy-seven years.
The Group of Twenty (G20), which is comprised of states that possess nuclear weapons as well as states that are dependent on nuclear power, released a declaration in Indonesia in November of 2016 asserting that the use of nuclear weapons or the threat of their use is “inadmissible.” This mutual acknowledgment is the driving force behind the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), and it is imperative that this message be conveyed to the rest of the world in a clear and compelling manner from Hiroshima.
The potential of No First Use policy for nuclear disarmament and a common security paradigm
A commitment to the policies of No First Use is a “prescription for hope,” and it has the potential to act as the axle connecting the twin wheels of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Treaty on the Prevention of Nuclear War, thereby accelerating the realisation of a world free from nuclear weapons. If a consensus could be reached on the principle of No First Use, which was included in draughts of the final statement for the NPT Review Conference held the previous year, this would establish the basis on which states could together transform the challenging security environments in which they find themselves, moving towards a “common security” paradigm. If this consensus could be reached, the NPT Review Conference would be able to move forward with its work.
The TPNW has been the focus of collaborative efforts between the SGI and members of the global hibakusha community, as well as the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and other groups working towards the goal of its adoption and widespread implementation. They are dedicated, in their roles as members of civil society, to the promotion of the quick adoption of policies of No First Use of nuclear weapons, which will generate momentum to transform our age.
The Hiroshima Summit of the Group of Seven (G7) gives an important chance to advance efforts towards a world free of nuclear weapons, to put an end to the devastation caused by the crisis in Ukraine, and to advance international policies that encourage peace and cooperation among states.
Proposal to involve civil society in Ukraine peace negotiations
The G7 Summit is scheduled to take place in Hiroshima, Japan from May 19 to 21, and in the midst of calls for the resolution of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, a proposal has been put forward to involve representatives of civil society as observers in the negotiations for a complete cessation of hostilities. Some examples of these types of individuals include physicians and educators. This move is in keeping with the joint statement that was released by the presidents of Russia and China in March, which asked for an end to all moves that lead to tensions and the protraction of fighting. This decision is in line with the statement since it calls for an end to all moves that lead to tensions and the protraction of fighting.
The debate of vows to refrain from the first use of nuclear weapons is another significant topic that will be on the agenda. The current crisis in Ukraine has generated concerns about the ongoing threat of nuclear weapons use, and the G7 Summit presents an opportunity to take tangible actions towards the reduction of this risk. These concerns were raised as a result of the current crisis in Ukraine. The five states that possess nuclear weapons have reaffirmed the idea that “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought,” and the group of nations known as the G20 has stated that the use of nuclear weapons or the threat of their use is not permitted under any circumstances.
Promoting a Commitment to No First Use of Nuclear Weapons for a Hopeful Future
The message that the use of nuclear weapons is unacceptable must be sent to the rest of the world in a clear and convincing manner from the city of Hiroshima, which has firsthand experience with the catastrophic effects of a nuclear weapon explosion. It is imperative that the leaders of the G7 countries reflect on the lessons that were learned during the nuclear age and establish commitments to “No First Use” in order for their mutual acknowledgment of the unacceptable character of nuclear weapons to be able to find expression in revised policy.
A commitment to policies of “No First Use” is a prescription for hope, and it can serve as the basis for a move to a common security paradigm. Hope can be restored when this commitment is made. The SGI and other civil society organisations are dedicated to building momentum for the transformation of our generation by promoting the quick adoption of policies of No First Use of nuclear weapons. This commitment was made public in April of this year.
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