Hiroshima mayor shares his aspirations for NPT Review Conference before his departure
Apr. 27, 2010
by Sakiko Masuda, Staff Writer
Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba, who will soon depart for the United States to attend the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference, shared his aspirations for the meeting at a press conference held at City Hall on April 23. "I will make the utmost effort so that nuclear weapons can be eliminated by 2020," he said. The mayor is scheduled to arrive in New York on April 28.
The NPT Review Conference will begin on May 3 at U.N. Headquarters. Prior to that, Mayor Akiba will take part in various gatherings organized by nongovernmental organizations and a demonstration march. On May 3, he will observe the NPT Review Conference and also give a speech at the A-bomb exhibition organized by the Japan Confederation of A- and H-bomb Sufferers Organizations to be held in the building of the U.N. Headquarters.
Mayor Akiba will speak at a NGO session of the NPT Review Conference on May 7 and appeal for the abolition of nuclear weapons along with Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue.
Mayors for Peace, for which Mayor Akiba serves as president, drafted the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Protocol, which provides a road map for the abolition of nuclear weapons by 2020, and has proposed that it be adopted at the NPT Review Conference. At this point a nation willing to submit the protocol at the conference has not been found. Nonetheless, Mayor Akiba stated, "There are countries that have said they will consider the possibility. I will strive to make a strong appeal for their cooperation until the last minute," indicating his intention to continue lobbying representatives of the NPT signatories after he arrives in New York.
At the same time, the mayor commented, "Another option would be to incorporate the intention of the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Protocol into the president's statement of the NPT Review Conference. Even if the only outcome of the conference is to initiate multilateral negotiations for the elimination of nuclear weapons, that would be a great step forward."
As to the prospects for the entire NPT Review Conference, Mayor Akiba listed recent developments involving nuclear weapons issues, including the signing of the new nuclear disarmament treaty between the United States and Russia, and expressed his hope for a successful result. "The global momentum for the elimination of nuclear weapons has gained strength, creating a huge wave," he remarked. "Support for the abolition of nuclear weapons is voiced by the majority of people in the world. We will not give up and we will do everything in our power through the very end of the conference."
(Originally published on April 24, 2010)
Related articles
Mayors for Peace plans extensive lobbying campaign at NPT Review Conference (April 16, 2010)
All cities in Nicaragua to be members of Mayors for Peace (March 29, 2010)
Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba, who will soon depart for the United States to attend the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference, shared his aspirations for the meeting at a press conference held at City Hall on April 23. "I will make the utmost effort so that nuclear weapons can be eliminated by 2020," he said. The mayor is scheduled to arrive in New York on April 28.
The NPT Review Conference will begin on May 3 at U.N. Headquarters. Prior to that, Mayor Akiba will take part in various gatherings organized by nongovernmental organizations and a demonstration march. On May 3, he will observe the NPT Review Conference and also give a speech at the A-bomb exhibition organized by the Japan Confederation of A- and H-bomb Sufferers Organizations to be held in the building of the U.N. Headquarters.
Mayor Akiba will speak at a NGO session of the NPT Review Conference on May 7 and appeal for the abolition of nuclear weapons along with Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue.
Mayors for Peace, for which Mayor Akiba serves as president, drafted the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Protocol, which provides a road map for the abolition of nuclear weapons by 2020, and has proposed that it be adopted at the NPT Review Conference. At this point a nation willing to submit the protocol at the conference has not been found. Nonetheless, Mayor Akiba stated, "There are countries that have said they will consider the possibility. I will strive to make a strong appeal for their cooperation until the last minute," indicating his intention to continue lobbying representatives of the NPT signatories after he arrives in New York.
At the same time, the mayor commented, "Another option would be to incorporate the intention of the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Protocol into the president's statement of the NPT Review Conference. Even if the only outcome of the conference is to initiate multilateral negotiations for the elimination of nuclear weapons, that would be a great step forward."
As to the prospects for the entire NPT Review Conference, Mayor Akiba listed recent developments involving nuclear weapons issues, including the signing of the new nuclear disarmament treaty between the United States and Russia, and expressed his hope for a successful result. "The global momentum for the elimination of nuclear weapons has gained strength, creating a huge wave," he remarked. "Support for the abolition of nuclear weapons is voiced by the majority of people in the world. We will not give up and we will do everything in our power through the very end of the conference."
(Originally published on April 24, 2010)
Related articles
Mayors for Peace plans extensive lobbying campaign at NPT Review Conference (April 16, 2010)
All cities in Nicaragua to be members of Mayors for Peace (March 29, 2010)
