Mayors for Peace adopts appeal for nuclear weapons convention at U.N. gathering
May 13, 2015
by Michiko Tanaka, Staff Writer
NEW YORK--On April 29, Mayors for Peace, which seeks the total abolition of nuclear weapons by 2020, held a gathering at United Nations headquarters in New York. Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui serves as the president of Mayors for Peace. At this event, the “New York Appeal” was adopted to urge world leaders to start negotiations for a nuclear weapons convention.
At the panel discussion hosted by Hiroshima Prefecture, Hiroshima Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki proposed that political leaders visit the A-bombed cities. As the NPT Review Conference continues, Mr. Matsui and Mr. Yuzaki both conveyed Hiroshima’s desire for peace.
Mr. Matsui read aloud the New York Appeal. The statement refers to the abolition of nuclear weapons by saying, “We believe that in order to achieve this common goal, it is not enough that political leaders present nuclear weapons abolition as a simple ‘desirable goal,’ but that they must hold a firm political will to turn this into a ‘concrete achievement,’ and that the strong support of public opinion to push this forward is essential.”
In addition, “deep concerns” were expressed over the lack of substantive progress in nuclear disarmament and of negotiations on a convention to outlaw nuclear weapons or any other legal framework for achieving this goal.
“Specifically now,” he continued, “when the understanding regarding the inhumanity of nuclear weapons continues to deepen, is the time for the policymakers of the world, especially those of nuclear weapons states, to demonstrate decisive leadership and work together towards nuclear weapons abolition and the creation of an international environment that will make it possible.” The New York Appeal will be distributed to all countries taking part in the Review Conference.
At the event, the Hiroshima mayor also presented certificates to the participating mayors from some of the “leader cities” of Mayors for Peace, including Mexico City, Mexico; Bangkok, Thailand; and Fongo-Tongo, Cameroon. In April, Mayors for Peace newly assigned 17 cities to serve as leader cities to spearhead regional efforts. Through discussion with experts and representatives from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the significant role of civil society was stressed.
Meanwhile, Hiroshima Prefecture hosted a panel discussion under the theme of “Nuclear Weapons: Humanitarian Aspects and Legal Framework.” Mr. Yuzaki, the Hiroshima governor, emphasized the importance of world leaders visiting the A-bombed cities in person. He said, “If you visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki and get introduced to the tragedy of nuclear weapons, the experience appeals directly to our sense of ethics and morality. Such experience touches and shakes our heartstrings as human beings, and makes us return to our basic focus on our resolve that nuclear weapons must be abolished. In addition, it also encourages us to cooperate with those who have different views and ways of thinking so that we can achieve a world without nuclear weapons.”
Alexander Kmentt, the Director for Disarmament, Arms Control and Non-Proliferation of the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, also took part in the gathering. Mr. Kmentt is from Austria, one of the nations leading discussions on the inhumane consequences from the use of nuclear weapons. He said that the debate over the inhumanity of nuclear arms has gained greater global attention than ever before and cast doubt on the idea that these weapons are legally acceptable, also raising hopes for stronger support for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.
(Originally published on May 1, 2015)
NEW YORK--On April 29, Mayors for Peace, which seeks the total abolition of nuclear weapons by 2020, held a gathering at United Nations headquarters in New York. Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui serves as the president of Mayors for Peace. At this event, the “New York Appeal” was adopted to urge world leaders to start negotiations for a nuclear weapons convention.
At the panel discussion hosted by Hiroshima Prefecture, Hiroshima Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki proposed that political leaders visit the A-bombed cities. As the NPT Review Conference continues, Mr. Matsui and Mr. Yuzaki both conveyed Hiroshima’s desire for peace.
Mr. Matsui read aloud the New York Appeal. The statement refers to the abolition of nuclear weapons by saying, “We believe that in order to achieve this common goal, it is not enough that political leaders present nuclear weapons abolition as a simple ‘desirable goal,’ but that they must hold a firm political will to turn this into a ‘concrete achievement,’ and that the strong support of public opinion to push this forward is essential.”
In addition, “deep concerns” were expressed over the lack of substantive progress in nuclear disarmament and of negotiations on a convention to outlaw nuclear weapons or any other legal framework for achieving this goal.
“Specifically now,” he continued, “when the understanding regarding the inhumanity of nuclear weapons continues to deepen, is the time for the policymakers of the world, especially those of nuclear weapons states, to demonstrate decisive leadership and work together towards nuclear weapons abolition and the creation of an international environment that will make it possible.” The New York Appeal will be distributed to all countries taking part in the Review Conference.
At the event, the Hiroshima mayor also presented certificates to the participating mayors from some of the “leader cities” of Mayors for Peace, including Mexico City, Mexico; Bangkok, Thailand; and Fongo-Tongo, Cameroon. In April, Mayors for Peace newly assigned 17 cities to serve as leader cities to spearhead regional efforts. Through discussion with experts and representatives from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the significant role of civil society was stressed.
Meanwhile, Hiroshima Prefecture hosted a panel discussion under the theme of “Nuclear Weapons: Humanitarian Aspects and Legal Framework.” Mr. Yuzaki, the Hiroshima governor, emphasized the importance of world leaders visiting the A-bombed cities in person. He said, “If you visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki and get introduced to the tragedy of nuclear weapons, the experience appeals directly to our sense of ethics and morality. Such experience touches and shakes our heartstrings as human beings, and makes us return to our basic focus on our resolve that nuclear weapons must be abolished. In addition, it also encourages us to cooperate with those who have different views and ways of thinking so that we can achieve a world without nuclear weapons.”
Alexander Kmentt, the Director for Disarmament, Arms Control and Non-Proliferation of the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, also took part in the gathering. Mr. Kmentt is from Austria, one of the nations leading discussions on the inhumane consequences from the use of nuclear weapons. He said that the debate over the inhumanity of nuclear arms has gained greater global attention than ever before and cast doubt on the idea that these weapons are legally acceptable, also raising hopes for stronger support for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.
(Originally published on May 1, 2015)
