核安全サミット テロ防止に問われる管理強化

The Yomiuri Shimbun March 27, 2014
Reinforced management of nuclear materials needed to prevent terrorism
核安全サミット　テロ防止に問われる管理強化（3月27日付・読売社説）

In confronting the threat of nuclear terrorism, it is essential for countries to cooperate to thoroughly manage nuclear materials.
　核テロの脅威に立ち向かうには、各国が連携して核物質の管理を徹底することが欠かせない。

The Nuclear Security Summit, attended by leaders of over 50 countries, including major industrial nations and emerging economies, was held in The Hague, and the leaders adopted a joint communique.
　核安全サミットが、オランダ・ハーグで、先進国や新興国など５０か国以上の首脳らを集めて開かれ、共同声明を採択した。

The joint communique places the highest priority on preventing nuclear materials from being acquired by terrorists. It urges countries to accept the guidance mapped out by the International Atomic Energy Agency concerning the protection of their nuclear materials and facilities.
　共同声明は、テロリストによる核物質入手の阻止を最重要課題に掲げている。その上で国際原子力機関（ＩＡＥＡ）が策定した核物質や核関連施設の防護に関する指針の受け入れを各国に促した。

According to the IAEA, in 2013 alone there were 146 cases in which nuclear materials or other radioactive materials were traded illegally, stolen or lost. As we cannot deny the possibility of nuclear terrorism, countries concerned must take effective measures in line with the IAEA guidance.
　ＩＡＥＡによると、核物質や放射性物質の違法取引や盗難、紛失は昨年だけで１４６件に上る。核テロが起きる可能性は否定できず、各国には指針に沿った実効性ある対応が求められよう。

It is also important that the communique encourages countries to minimize their stocks of highly enriched uranium (HEU) and of separated plutonium, both of which can be used in nuclear weapons. This call is aimed at getting countries to hold down their stockpile of such materials and prevent nuclear materials from going into the hands of terrorists.
　声明が、各国に対し、核兵器への転用可能な高濃縮ウランやプルトニウムの保有量を最小限とするよう要請したことも重要である。それぞれの保有量を抑えて、テロリストへの流出を防ぐ狙いだ。

Any excess nuclear materials should be transported out of those countries and placed under the control of such nations as the United States, which is capable of disposing of such material responsibly.
　過剰な核物質は国外に搬出し、責任を持って処理する能力のある米国のような国の管理下に置くことが望ましい。

In line with the purport of the communique, Italy, Belgium, South Korea and other countries have expressed their willingness to remove unnecessary plutonium and HEU from their countries.
　声明の趣旨に沿って、イタリアやベルギー、韓国などが、不要なプルトニウムや高濃縮ウランの国内からの撤去を表明した。

Abe demonstrates resolve

Japan, for its part, has announced a bilateral agreement with the United States under which it will remove several hundred kilograms of HEU and plutonium used for the fast critical assembly at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency and hand them over to the United States.
　日本も、日本原子力研究開発機構が高速炉臨界実験装置で使ってきた高濃縮ウランとプルトニウム数百キロを撤去し、米国に引き渡すことで合意したと発表した。

Such measures can be said to be in accord with the principles of the government, which has said the country “will not own plutonium for which no purpose has been set.”
　「利用する目的のないプルトニウムは持たない」との日本政府の原則にかなう措置とも言える。

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has shown his determination at the summit, saying “Japan has a responsibility to lead efforts to strengthen nuclear security” in light of its experience with the crisis at Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.
　今回のサミットで、安倍首相は東京電力福島第一原子力発電所事故の経験を踏まえ、「日本には核安全の強化を主導する責任がある」との決意を示した。

As Japan is the only country to have suffered atomic bombings in wartime and is also one with advanced technology in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, our country should take a proactive role in this field, too.
　唯一の戦争被爆国であり、原子力の平和利用で先進的な技術を持つ日本は、この分野でも積極的に役割を果たすべきだ。

The Nuclear Security Summit started four years ago when U.S. President Barack Obama advocated a goal of realizing a nuclear-free world. Since then, the summit has borne definite fruit, for instance, in the prevention of nuclear terrorism. Yet it is problematic that there has been little progress in the reduction of nuclear arms themselves.
　核安全サミットは、「核のない世界」の実現を目標に掲げたオバマ米大統領の提唱で４年前に始まり、核テロ防止などに一定の成果を上げてきた。ただ、核兵器そのものの削減が遅々として進んでいないのは問題である。

It is worrisome that among the five countries allowed to possess nuclear arms under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty—the United States, Britain, China, France and Russia—only China is believed to be increasing its stockpile of nuclear weapons.
　気がかりなのは、核拡散防止条約（ＮＰＴ）で核兵器の保有を認められた米英中仏露５か国のうち中国だけが核兵器の保有量を増やしているとされることだ。

China must stop its military buildup with nuclear arms, which has been a destabilizing factor for the world’s nuclear security environment, and reduce its nuclear arms together with other nuclear powers.
　中国は、世界の安全保障環境の不安定要因となっている核軍拡をやめ、他の保有国とともに核兵器を削減していかねばならない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 27, 2014)
（2014年3月27日01時29分  読売新聞）