7th Executive Conference of Mayors for Peace

7th Executive Conference of Mayors for Peace

The 7th Executive Conference of Mayors for Peace took place in Florence, Italy. At the Conference, we approved a new phase of our 2020 Vision Campaign. The new phase will be launched during the 2nd Preparatory Committee for the NPT Review Conference next May, and we created a new non-profit organization based in Ypres, Belgium to promote the campaign. The 2020 Vision Campaign Association will plan, implement and raise funds for the campaign. It was also agreed to hold the 7th General Conference of Mayors for Peace in Nagasaki in August 2009. The Executive Conference then adopted a resolution on the abolition of nuclear weapons and a final communique. With participation from 9 of our 12 executive cities, we had a series of positive discussions in pursuit of our goal--ridding the world of nuclear weapons.

1. Date
　　November 21 and 22, 2007 (Wednesday and Thursday)

2. Place
　　Florence, Italy

3. Participant Cities (see the participant list)
　　President: Hiroshima (JPN)
　　Vice Presidents: Nagasaki (JPN), Akron (USA), Florence (ITA), Hanover (GER),
　　　　　　　　　　　　 Laakdal (BEL), Malakoff (FRA), Manchester (UK)
　　Executive Official: Ypres (BEL)

4. Decisions
1) 2020 Vision Campaign Outline
We will launch Phase III of the 2020 Vision Campaign in next May. The United Nations has declared 2010 to 2020 to be a Decade of Disarmament. We consider this period the decisive decade for the human family regarding the threat of nuclear weapons. We intend to abolish nuclear weapons by the year 2020.
(Phase III Campaign Schedule)

Month/Year	Events
May　2008	European and Mediterranean Mayors Conference at NPT PrepCom Unveiling of　the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Protocol (in Geneva)
October 2008	Passage of resolution recognizing Cities Are Not Targets in the UNGA
May 2009	North American Mayors Conference at NPT PrepCom (in New York)
August 2009	7th General Conference of Mayors for Peace (in Nagasaki)
October 2009	Passage of Hiroshima-Nagasaki Protocol resolution in the UNGA
May 2010	Send the mayoral delegation to NPT Review Conference

2) Fundraising campaign for the expansion of 2020 Vision Campaign
To expand our 2020 Vision Campaign, we will call for our member cities, foundations, like-minded corporations, and individuals to contribute funds for our activities. In Belgium, around 40 cities have already resolved to contribute funds to our campaign. Building on this good example, we will call on other countries with many Mayors for Peace members, such as Italy, Germany, and US, to contribute funds.

3) 2020 Vision Campaign Association
To develop the 2020 Vision Campaign internationally, we established the 2020 Vision Campaign Association to manage the 2020 Vision Campaign. It is located in Ypres, Belgium, an Executive City of Mayors for Peace. This Association is responsible for planning, implementing and raising funds for the 2020 Vision Campaign.

4) 7th General Conference of Mayors for Peace in 2009
We will hold the 7th General Conference of Mayors for Peace in Nagasaki in August 2009. The City of Nagasaki holds the Nagasaki Global Citizens' Assembly for the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons in autumn once in three years. In the year 2009, this Assembly will coincide with our General Conference, so we will try to organize these two meetings in the same time. If this is realized, we can strengthen our relationship with other NGOs and raise public demand for the nuclear abolition.

5) Resolution on the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons (see the text)
We demand that national governments increase dialogue, work conscientiously to build trust, maintain and strengthen the NPT regime and work to bring the CTBT into force promptly. We adopted the Resolution on the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons, which declared our renewed determination to act on behalf of our citizens to eliminate nuclear weapons and create a world without war. We will send this resolution to all nuclear-weapon states and de facto nuclear-weapon states.

6) Final Communique (see the text)
Mayors are duty bound legally and from a humanitarian perspective to protect the lives and well being of their citizens. Executive Conference expresses its determination to continue promoting Peace Culture, calling for nuclear weapon states to assure cities that we are not targeted for destruction, and seeking to abolish nuclear weapons by the year 2020. In this context, we adopted the Final Communique by decisions taken at the Executive Conference. We will send this Final Communique to all member cities. The Nobel Peace Prize-winning NGO International Peace Bureau (IPB) awarded its Sean MacBride Award to Mayors for Peace. This prize, established in 1992, is given every year to a group or individual who makes a conspicuous contribution to peace and disarmament.