Members of the Japan NGO Network for Nuclear Weapons Abolition explain the request submitted to the government at a news conference on April 14. (Kiyohide Inada)

EDITORIAL: Nuclear powers must meet pledge to work on arms reduction

（社説）核不拡散条約　大国が守るべき約束

The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty is an international agreement continuing from 1970 to prevent the spread of nations possessing nuclear weapons and work toward arms reduction.

The review conference to assess the current situation begins from April 27 in the United States amid major turbulence in the international order since the last meeting in 2022.

With about 190 member nations and regions, the NPT allows five nations to possess nuclear weapons—the United States, Russia, Britain, France and China.

Among other nations believed to have nuclear weapons, India, Pakistan and Israel have not joined the NPT and North Korea announced that it was leaving the pact.

The review conference will be held after Iran, a member nation, was attacked by the United States and Israel in what has been described as a violation of international law.

While Iran cannot be allowed to possess nuclear weapons, the use of force to prevent that from happening goes against international rules accumulated through years of discussions in the NPT.

This is nothing more than a high-handed move by a major power seeking control through force that comes in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

It could lead non-nuclear powers to begin thinking that only nuclear weapons can be relied upon and contribute to the hollowing out of the arms reduction framework.

While allowing for the peaceful use of nuclear energy, the NPT has a provision calling for sincere negotiations toward nuclear arms reduction.

At the 2000 review conference, an agreement was reached that included a clear pledge by the nuclear powers to work toward eliminating nuclear weapons.

The biggest issue is that this promise has not been fulfilled. The responsibility of the United States and Russia, which have prominent nuclear arsenals, is grave.

Rather than arms reduction, the current situation is one of an accelerating arms race.

China has heightened its nuclear capabilities and France is increasing its number of nuclear warheads.

The threat from North Korea, which continues developing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, has also increased.

The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) between Russia and the United States that limited the number of warheads deployed expired in February.

As a result, the two countries have plunged into a serious situation in which no arms reduction framework exists between them. 

The norm that nuclear weapons should never be used is also wavering with some nations not hesitating to intimidate others through the threat of nuclear weapons.

The NPT is at a crucial stage in which it must demonstrate the ability to serve as a brake on an arms race while distrust grows about the special privilege enjoyed by the nuclear powers.

The nuclear powers must sincerely participate in dialogue and face their obligation and responsibility.

Japan will send a senior vice foreign minister to the review conference. Japan's declining presence cannot be denied since Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attended the 2022 conference.

It remains to be seen how persuasive Japan can be when lobbying the nuclear powers by pointing out the inhumaneness of nuclear weapons based on its experience of having atomic bombs dropped on it in war.

No agreement documents were compiled at the last two review conferences and many experts foresee similar difficulties for the upcoming meeting.

But such a document is not the only result from the conference.

There is a need to discuss possible actions toward arms reduction while considering the new environment created by the progress in artificial intelligence.

To give up on dialogue is to give tacit approval to control through force.

--The Asahi Shimbun, April 27

核兵器の保有国を増やさず、軍縮を進める。核不拡散条約（ＮＰＴ）は、１９７０年から続く国際的な取り決めだ。状況を検証する会議が２７日に米国で始まる。２０２２年以来で、国際秩序が大きく揺らぐ中での開催となる。
　約１９０の国・地域が加わるＮＰＴは、米国、ロシア、英国、フランス、中国に核保有を認めている。他に核を持つとされるのは、ＮＰＴに未加盟のインド、パキスタン、イスラエルと、条約から脱退を宣言した北朝鮮だ。
　今回、ＮＰＴ加盟国のイランを、米国とイスラエルが国際法違反との指摘を受けながら攻撃した。イランの核保有は容認できないが、それを阻止するために軍事力を行使したことは、議論を積み重ねてきたＮＰＴという国際ルールに背くものだ。
　ロシアのウクライナ侵攻に続き、力の支配を狙う大国の横暴にほかならない。頼れるのは核兵器だと非保有国に思わせ、軍縮の枠組みを空洞化させかねない。
　ＮＰＴは原子力の平和利用を認めつつ、核軍縮の交渉を誠実に行う義務を定める。００年の会議は、保有国が核兵器の廃絶を明確に約束する、との合意文書をまとめている。
　最大の問題は、その約束が果たされないことだ。特に突出した核戦力を持つ米ロの責任は重い。
　現状は、軍縮どころか軍拡が加速している。中国も核戦力を高め、フランスは核弾頭を増やす。核・ミサイル開発を進める北朝鮮の脅威も増している。
　米ロ間では、配備する核弾頭数を制限する新戦略兵器削減条約（新ＳＴＡＲＴ）が２月に失効し、軍縮の枠組みがなくなる深刻な事態に陥っている。核の威嚇さえためらわない国家の振る舞いにより、核兵器が絶対に使われてはならないという規範も揺らぐ。
　核保有国の特権に不信が強まる中で、軍拡への歯止めたりえるか。ＮＰＴ体制の正念場だ。核大国は真摯（しんし）に対話に参加し、自らの義務と責任に向き合うべきだ。
　日本政府は会議に外務副大臣を派遣する。首相が参加した前回と比べて存在感の低下は否めない。戦争被爆国として核兵器の非人道性を訴え、保有国に働きかける際にどこまで説得力を持つだろうか。
　過去２回の会議では合意内容を文書にまとめられなかった。今回も厳しいとの見方が大勢だが、文書だけが成果ではない。ＡＩ（人工知能）の進化など新たな環境も踏まえ、軍縮への行動を話し合う必要がある。諦めは力の支配への黙認になる。

(2026年4月27日)