Dr. Rebecca Johnson　
Executive Director, Acronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy

It is a great honour to be invited to speak to you today. The first time that I addressed an assembly of Japanese citizens in Nagasaki was on August 9, 1983, when I attended your commemoration ceremonies as a representative of the Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp, a grassroots movement in Britain opposed to the deployment of a new generation of intermediate-range nuclear weapons in Europe, known as Pershing, Cruise Missiles and the SS20s.

Since then I have spoken here several times as an expert on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and strategist for the New Agenda Coalition, who piloted through the ground-breaking agreement on the "Thirteen Steps" for nuclear disarmament at the NPT Review Conference in 2000.

In recent years, we have seen the NPT regime come under severe pressure, including growing concerns over the nuclear programmes of North Korea and Iran. Crises such as these - most recently, North Korea's proudly announced 'nuclear test' - are often ascribed to failures of the non-proliferation regime. Certainly they illustrate some of the weaknesses in the regime; but such developments are much more the result of serial policy failures and mistakes by the first five nuclear weapon states, who also comprise the permanent members of the UN Security Council.

Erosion of the Non-proliferation Regime
Most notably, these recent crises with Iran and North Korea have been provoked and abetted by Bush administration ideology, arrogance and mistakes, which have dangerously eroded the credibility of international law and the non-proliferation regime. Contributory factors include the refusal by the nuclear weapon states to take real steps at the end of the Cold War to devalue and eliminate their nuclear weapons. The bloated Cold War arsenals were practically halved, it's true, but the policymakers continued to dream up new missions and new types of more usable nuclear weapons to fulfil those new missions. Most importantly, they continued to advertise that nuclear weapons were "indispensable" for their security.

The Cold War opportunity to close the door on the age of nuclear terror was squandered by those who thought they could use the regimes to keep the have-nots in check while they hung on to their own nuclear weapons indefinitely. Meanwhile, they sought new enemies to replace the Soviet threat that had kept their arms industries happy for so long.

No-one doubts the shock of 9/11 for the United States - and, indeed, for all of us. But horrific though these terrorist attacks were, they had nothing to do with Iraq, Iran or North Korea, who were subsequently lumped together by President Bush as an 'axis of evil'. Bad policies often create self-fulfilling prophesies, and this, sadly, is what the naive and ideologically-driven leaders of the United States and Britain have done. When they began throwing their weight around and invading countries that did not have nuclear weapons while coddling others, such as India, Pakistan and Israel, that had become more overt about nuclear arsenals developed outside the NPT, they sent all the wrong signals to vulnerable regimes and weak leaders. The United States and Britain have seriously weakened their own authority, undermined the United Nations and the rule of law and through their own arrogance and wrong-headedness, have created more nuclear wannabes and a more fertile recruiting ground for terrorism than before.

Human Security and Citizens' Responsibility
Yet even as these vain and terrible mistakes were being made by leaders, people all across the world showed compassion for the victims of terrorism combined with sensible judgment of the information and inspections with regard to the US-UK decision to go to war on the pretext of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction that no longer existed.

With respect to nuclear weapons too, ordinary people are showing far more wisdom than the leaders of nuclear states. The leaders seem to think that they can prevent further proliferation while advertising how indispensable nuclear weapons are for their own security. Ordinary people realise that the only way to prevent proliferation is to devalue nuclear weapons for everyone and pursue disarmament.

The leaders seem to think that they can force and coerce other countries into giving up nuclear programmes that cause concern. Ordinary people understand that persuasion through example and effective diplomacy are more likely to yield the desired results.

The leaders continue to obsess about national security, while ordinary people are more interested in human security. Not only do nuclear weapons not deter terrorism; they are completely irrelevant for addressing the real security challenges we face in the 21st century, such as global warming and climate change, poverty and religious intolerance. Nuclear weapons cannot mitigate such threats, but the existence of nuclear weapons can greatly exacerbate the dangers when aggressors come under pressure.

Yet the more mistaken the leaders are, the more they seek to ignore or close off the channels for democratic policy input and debate. While we must continue to debate, examine and inform, and seek to influence our governments through the ballot box and with reasoned argument, evidence and ideas, we also have a duty as responsible citizens to refuse to collaborate with crimes, illegal actions or crass stupity committed in our name by officials or governments.

This was the lesson of Nuremburg - as human beings we each have a conscience and moral compass. We cannot hand over our innate responsibility to resist and speak out when we see violence and wrong-doing. So today I am here in Nagasaki both as a security analyst and an activist.
I have come here direct from the Faslane Nuclear Submarine base near Glasgow in Scotland. This is where the UK Trident nuclear force is deployed, and if Tony Blair gets his way, this will be the home port for the next generation of British nuclear weapons.

Britain's Choice: Replace Trident or Strengthen the NPT
On October 1st, civil society launched a yearlong nonviolent protest at the gates of the Faslane naval base to call for Britain to begin the process of eliminating Trident. I am taking part in this, together with grandparents and students, teachers, hospital workers, lawyers, musicians, academics, factory-hands and a whole cross section of society.

Nuclear weapons are back on the agenda in Britain not because of North Korea's nuclear test, but because Prime Minister Tony Blair has announced that Britain needs to make the decision now about a replacement system for when Trident gets too old, some time in the 2020s. In effect, the choice is whether to abide by Britain's NPT obligations or commit up to ?76 billion pounds on developing and deploying a new generation of nuclear weapons to keep the UK in the nuclear weapon business until the second half of the 21st century.

Despite making an "unequivocal undertaking" to eliminate its nuclear arsenal as part of the agreements adopted by consensus among NPT parties in 2000, Britain continues to deploy up to 200 warheads on four nuclear submarines. Each submarine-load is the equivalent of around 250 Nagasaki bombs. They were commissioned with a view to deterring a Soviet nuclear threat, but the Soviet Union had collapsed before Trident even came into service in 1994. What are these nuclear weapons for now? Who are they aimed at? Under what circumstances might they be used?

These are pertinent questions, with no convincing answer. Developing the next generation of nuclear weapons is clearly in violation of Britain's NPT obligations, and also incompatible with British and international security interests. But it will only be stopped if ordinary people all over the world exert much more effective pressure for the complete abolition and elimination of nuclear weapons. As a first step we need to demand that those countries currently in possession of nuclear weapons should give a clear and public undertaking not to develop or deploy any new types of nuclear weapons, whether intended to replace or upgrade existing nuclear forces.

When North Korea claimed to have conducted a nuclear test on October 8, some analysts predicted that this would be the tipping point on proliferation, leading to a regional nuclear arms race in North-East Asia and the "cascade of proliferation" that UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan warned about in 2004. But there is another way to look at this - as a wake-up call.

UK nuclear weapons are pointless and provide no security or additional influence. But if Britain can be persuaded to give them up now, we have the chance to be influential in tipping the world towards greater security. It will not happen overnight or be easy, but if a responsible nuclear weapon state decided to rid itself of the expensive dangers of nuclear weapons and then worked proactively with other responsible countries to abolish nuclear weapons, this could be the positive tipping point the world needs.

The Tokyo Forum in 1999 predicted that the world would have to "choose between the assured dangers of proliferation and the challenges of disarmament." Among the nuclear weapon states, Britain is the first to face this challenge in direct, practical terms: do we get out of the nuclear arms race or commit billions to building a new generation of more usable nuclear weapons?

If we want to have any chance of halting vertical and horizontal proliferation, the UK decision is pivotal. To break a chain, it is necessary to apply concerted pressure at the weakest point. Britain's decision on replacing Trident is the weakest link in the worldwide nuclear chain. If we can get one nuclear weapon state to start the process towards real disarmament, it will have far-reaching impact.

Pledge to the Hibakusha - Never Again
More than any other country, Japan understands what nuclear weapons do. We need your help now, more than at any other time in history. We need you to prevent your government using the North Korean nuclear programme as an excuse to rescind Japan's anti-nuclear constitution or to collaborate with ballistic missile defence and US moves to weaponise space.

We need Japan to make clear in every diplomatic forum that the nuclear weapon states are under obligation to eliminate their arsenals and that the Japanese people expect and encourage Britain and the other nuclear states to fulfil these legal obligations. Tell Tony Blair that Trident should not be replaced - it should be scrapped.

We urgently need you to support and publicise what civil society is doing to break the nuclear chain in Britain. And this appeal goes also to other international participants. Words of sympathy for the Hibakusha are hollow unless we pledge with our lives and actions never to allow another nuclear weapon to be made or used.

Faslane 365 - civil resistance to nuclear weapons in Scotland
Faslane 365 is a grassroots campaign aimed at bringing thousands of people to participate in a year of continuous protests at the UK's only nuclear submarine base at Faslane. The objective is to mobilise a broader level of public engagement to oppose Trident and prevent any commitment to further nuclear weapons. As we did in getting rid of cruise missiles in the 1980s, Faslane 365 will combine persistent, nonviolent opposition at the site of deployment with creative actions, information and wide networking, and political pressure at all levels.

Faslane 365 is bringing diverse groups for two days at a time to witness and impede the Faslane nuclear base and demand an end to the deployment of Trident. Already over 50 peace, justice and environmental groups from all over the UK have committed to organising blockades and high visibility demonstrations in the first three months, with music, speak-outs and redecoration of the fence with banners and paint etc. Those who have already taken part this month have been inspired and empowered. They have gone back to their towns and communities and are now mobilising others and choosing dates next year to come back and bring even more people to Faslane.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if there were a special block led by Japanese people - on August 6th or 9th next year, perhaps, or even earlier? Scotland is a beautiful part of the world, and Faslane is only 30 miles from Glasgow, close to Loch Lomond. If a group of you would take the lead to organise a Japanese block, we can promise that there will be Scottish and other UK activists standing together with you.

For more than 25 years I have listened to the stories of the Hibakusha and felt humbled by their strength, compassion and determination. They tell us of their appalling suffering not to make us feel sorry or guilty, but to help us understand that nuclear weapons must never be used again. And the only way to prevent them being used again is to outlaw and abolish them completely. Let's start with the weakest link - Britain - and break the nuclear chain. We owe it to the memory of those who died and the bravery of those who survived to do everything in our power to halt proliferation and abolish nuclear weapons.

Every time I come to Nagasaki, I visit the indomitable eucalyptus trees growing at the gates of the shinto shrine near the one-legged torii. I collect water from the Urakami river near ground zero. This time I will take the water back with me and pour it at the gates of Faslane. I hope I will also take back a promise that you will join us during the coming year.