U.N. General Assembly Overwhelmingly Approves Japanese Resolution on Nuclear Disarmament

The U.N. General Assembly yesterday approved a nuclear disarmament resolution presented by Japan by a vote of 168-2 with seven abstentions, Kyodo News reported (see GSN, May 31).

Only India and the United States voted against the resolution, while Bhutan, China, Cuba, North Korea, Israel, Myanmar and Pakistan abstained.

The latest version of the resolution, which has been presented annually since 1994, calls for the reduction and eventual elimination of nuclear weapons.   It calls on the United States and Russia to reduce nuclear arms beyond those agreed upon in a 2002 bilateral treaty, Kyodo reported.

The resolution urges parties that have not signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty to refrain from actions that would undermine the pact. It also encourages entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, continued nuclear test moratoriums, and beginning negotiations on a proposed fissile material cutoff treaty (Kyodo/BBC Monitoring, Dec. 9)

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