People Urge Japan To Ratify Un Nuclear Ban Treaty
People campaigning in Hiroshima have started collecting signatures to urge the Japanese government to sign and ratify the UN treaty banning nuclear arms. The treaty will come into force in January.
A group of about 30 people appealed for support near Peace Memorial Park in the western city on Saturday. Visitors were seen responding to their calls.
The drive is being led by the Japan Council against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs.
Takahashi Nobuo of the organization's Hiroshima prefectural branch said he wants to build support by promoting the treaty's goal of achieving peace and a world without nuclear weapons.
Similar campaigns are planned in other parts of the country.
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons has collected 50 ratifications and will take effect on January 22. But signatories do not include Japan or nuclear armed nations, such as the United States.
The treaty bans all nuclear-arms related activities, including the development, possession, and use of such weapons.
