UN General Committee gives nod to Japan's anti-nuke resolution; China & Russia oppose

The United Nations (UN) General Committee on Wednesday has approved a Japan-sponsored draft law seeking the absolute abolition of nuclear weapons, Kyodo News agency reported. When the vote was taken, 152 nations voted in favour of Japan's anti-nuke resolution, while four countries voted against it, which included council members China and Russia, while 30 others abstained.

Furthermore, the resolution was co-sponsored by the United Kingdom and the United States, while France, who abstained last year, currently voted in support of it. In the month of December, the United Nations General Assembly has anticipated to officially approve the draught resolution.

The Foreign Minister of Japan, Toshimitsu Motegi stated in a statement that Japan's anti-nuke resolution will be considered to be one of the tangible steps to create a world without nuclear weapons. This will further provide a commonality in which all governments will work together to bridge the gap between nuclear-weapon states and non-nuclear-weapon states.

The resolution further included phrases such as "bearing in mind" which defines the fact that "various approaches exist towards the realisation of a world without nuclear weapons and that confidence-building among all States is essential to this end," the Kyodo News reported. The resolution also uses the term "recognising" in connection to the catastrophic humanitarian repercussions that would arise from using nuclear weapons, which is cited in the previous year's resolution.

Previously Japan submitted the anti-nuclear resolution to the UN

Meanwhile, on October 14, Thursday, Japan filed an anti-nuclear resolution to the United Nations. Yet during that time, the resolution made no direct mention to the U.N.-adopted nuclear ban treaty that is expected to take action early next year. As per the Japantimes website, Japan has filed an anti-nuclear resolution to the United Nations every year since 1994, as being the world's only nation to have been bombed with atomic weapons. However, since the nuclear ban deal was adopted in 2017 by the United Nations, editions of the annual resolution have made no mention of it.

The UN's nuclear ban agreement was rejected by Japan. The nation even opposed the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council who are all nuclear states. Furthermore, the resolution of Japan is expected to pass as the First Committee on Disarmament Issues of the United Nations General Assembly, the Japantimes website reported.

Image: AP