NHK has learned that Japan's government and ruling coalition are considering sending Diet members to a UN nuclear weapons ban treaty conference without observer status.

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons has been ratified by 73 countries and territories. Japan has so far rejected calls that it attend meetings of the treaty group as an observer.

The third Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty will take place at UN headquarters in New York in March. The pact prohibits the use and possession of nuclear weapons.

The government and the ruling coalition are mulling sending Liberal Democratic Party and coalition partner Komeito members after deciding it is important to hear the discussions and to use them for future action.

They are also considering a plan to make it a cross-party delegation, depending on the opposition parties' willingness.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Nihon Hidankyo has asked the government to take part in the meeting as an observer.

But the government and the ruling coalition say the effect of participating is limited. They reached that conclusion after studying examples of other countries that are seen as relying on United States nuclear weapons for their own security.

A co-chair of Nihon Hidankyo, Mimaki Toshiyuki, said that he feels anger and disappointment about why the government cannot participate as an observer in the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing. He added that Japan should show its attitude.