-260 attendees from overseas and Japan

The 2004 World Congress to Abolish Nuclear Weapons of the Japan Council Against A- and H- bombs (Gensuikyo) opened on August 2 at Hiroshima Kosei Nenken Hall in Naka-ku, Hiroshima City. Approximately 260 persons gathered for the event included 66 representatives from 24 other countries. Calls were made for movement solidarity on the eve of next year's 60th anniversary of the atomic bombings in 2005 and the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference.

On behalf of the sponsors, Nagoya University Professor Emeritus Shoji Sawada said in his greeting, "Criticism is mounting of the Bush administration for researching and developing 'mini-nukes.' Our urgent task is to increase the momentum for the NPT Review Conference." Government representatives from other countries and grassroots activists spoke of their hopes for nuclear abolition.

Luis Alfonso de Alba, permanent representative of Mexico to the United Nations in Geneva, pointed out, "We have gained little ground toward our goal of nuclear abolition." He expressed alarm at the glacial progress toward nuclear abolition, citing the lack of ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).

Representing the Congress Operating Committee (of three persons), Tomoyasu Kawai warned against amending the Japanese Constitution. "Both the ruling party and the most powerful opposition party seek to reform the Constitution, including Article 9. Together, the members of those parties comprise more than the two-thirds majority needed to amend the Constitution."

(Caption)The 2004 World Congress to Abolish Nuclear Weapons of the Japan Council Against A- and H- bombs calls for movement solidarity on the eve of next year's 60th anniversary of the atomic bombings in 2005.