Antinuclear

Need to prevent the spread of nuclear technology

The ICNND and Japanese Civil Society Policy Forum Online By Kawasaki Akira

Australia and Japan have two significant commonalities. One is that they are important allies for the United States within the Asia Pacific region, and that their security is based upon the so-called “nuclear umbrella,” dependent upon US nuclear weapons.
The other is that Australia exports uranium to the world, while Japan has accumulated huge stocks of plutonium and will shortly commence its commercial production.

In this sense, these two countries together form the front and back ends of the nuclear fuel cycle – making both of these non-nuclear weapon states the bearers of grave responsibility for the world’s nuclear fuel cycle.

In light of these two points, while it is of course important for the ICNND to reaffirm general goals for the abolition of nuclear weapons, there are also two important questions that the Commission must at the same time examine.

Firstly, to what extent can the role of nuclear weapons for security, including in the Asia Pacific be reduced? And secondly, how much can the arbitrary spread of nuclear energy and technology, which link to risks of nuclear proliferation, be prevented?

The ICNND and Japanese Civil Society

November 2, 2009 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics international | antinuclear, Australia, nuclear, nuclear weapons