Japan Group Calls For International Assistance For Victims Of Nuclear Weapons
A group of Japanese citizens including atomic bomb survivors, academics and NGO members has drawn up a proposal calling for international support for victims of nuclear weapons and testing.
The group said it will present the proposal at the first meeting of signatories to the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons opening on June 21 in the Austrian capital Vienna.
The treaty bans the use, development and possession of nuclear weapons. It also requires signatories to assist victims of nuclear weapons and take measures to restore areas contaminated by use or testing.
The group's 10-point proposal says some victims have still not been given relief. It calls on signatories to declare, at the meeting, their resolve and responsibility to promote international cooperation to assist them.
It calls on the countries to include the victims in discussions, as adequate help is possible only when their needs are reflected.
The proposal also urges countries that have used or tested nuclear weapons to disclose information regarding the impact of their nuclear activities.
One of those who drafted the proposal is Kawasaki Akira, a member of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, or ICAN.
Kawasaki said a proposal by Japan, the only country to have suffered atomic bombings, should draw certain attention, and expressed hope that the group's recommendations lead to further steps.