U.N. Secretary-General appeals for nuclear abolition from Hiroshima
Aug. 9, 2010
by Yumi Kanazaki, Staff Writer
On August 6, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon referred to the Flame of Peace at the Peace Memorial Ceremony, and said to the world, "That is the Flame of Peace--a flame that will remain lit until nuclear weapons are no more. Together, let us work for that day--in our lifetime, in the lifetimes of the survivors. Together, let us put out the last fire of Hiroshima. Let us replace that flame with the light of hope."
After the ceremony, Mr. Ban delivered a speech entitled "Now is the Time" at the International Conference Center Hiroshima and made such concrete suggestions as the aim of putting the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) into effect by 2012.
The secretary-general also called for advancing his five-point proposal for nuclear abolition, made in 2008, which includes negotiations for a nuclear weapons convention. In addition, he spoke about a plan to regularly hold the U.N. Security Council Summit from next year in response to the success of the summit held last September, where the resolution of "a world without nuclear weapons" was adopted.
At the beginning of his speech, Mr. Ban expressed his gratitude and said that he was reminded of the horrific nature of the atomic blast by meeting A-bomb survivors. He remarked that the goal of nuclear abolition by 2020, as advocated by Mayors for Peace, is an ideal vision and he inspired the nearly 500 people in attendance by proposing that they celebrate the elimination of nuclear weapons with the A-bomb survivors in the year commemorating the 75th anniversary of the bombing.
(Originally published on August 7, 2010)
On August 6, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon referred to the Flame of Peace at the Peace Memorial Ceremony, and said to the world, "That is the Flame of Peace--a flame that will remain lit until nuclear weapons are no more. Together, let us work for that day--in our lifetime, in the lifetimes of the survivors. Together, let us put out the last fire of Hiroshima. Let us replace that flame with the light of hope."
After the ceremony, Mr. Ban delivered a speech entitled "Now is the Time" at the International Conference Center Hiroshima and made such concrete suggestions as the aim of putting the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) into effect by 2012.
The secretary-general also called for advancing his five-point proposal for nuclear abolition, made in 2008, which includes negotiations for a nuclear weapons convention. In addition, he spoke about a plan to regularly hold the U.N. Security Council Summit from next year in response to the success of the summit held last September, where the resolution of "a world without nuclear weapons" was adopted.
At the beginning of his speech, Mr. Ban expressed his gratitude and said that he was reminded of the horrific nature of the atomic blast by meeting A-bomb survivors. He remarked that the goal of nuclear abolition by 2020, as advocated by Mayors for Peace, is an ideal vision and he inspired the nearly 500 people in attendance by proposing that they celebrate the elimination of nuclear weapons with the A-bomb survivors in the year commemorating the 75th anniversary of the bombing.
(Originally published on August 7, 2010)
