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| 2001/8/9 |
Hiroshima-Nagasaki appeal
approved
HIROSHIMA-NAGASAKI APPEAL
We, the representatives of 105 cities and two organizations from
28 countries, met at the 5th World Conference of Mayors for Peace
through Inter-city Solidarity held in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and
discussed in great detail the keynote theme: In Order for Humankind
to Live through the 21st Century - Toward Reconciliation between
Humankind and Science and Technology. The secretariat made
thorough preparations in order to make this conference more rewarding,
and as a result, we found that our discussions were more lively
than those at previous conferences.
The 20th century was a time of brilliant scientific and technological
advances. Yet, during those same 100 years, humankind created such
tangible threats to its own survival as nuclear weaponry and destruction
ofÅ@the environment. At this Conference, we reflected on these
mistakes of the 20th century, and confirmed our resolve to make
the 21st century the 'century of humanity.'
By 'century of humanity' we mean a century in which all life is
valued and respected -a century in which peace is realized not through
violence but through reconciliation, cooperation, reason and conscience.Above
all, this new 'century'should mean that the children who will shoulder
the responsibility for the future are ensured hope and vibrant,
enjoyable lives.
We see, however, that many forms of violence persist on the earth.
Great quantities of nuclear weapons remain on our planet, and the
territories they target extend even into space. The earth
is being destroyed by such processes as global warming and contamination
from radioactive materials and waste. Throughout the world
we see continual local conflict, growing numbers of refugees and
violations of human rights, as well as widening economic gaps, and
hunger, poverty, and infectious diseases inflicting hardship and
suffering in developing countries.
Millions of children today are obliged to live in extremely harsh
conditions. Children are sent into battle as soldiers.
Far too many suffer physical, mental and spiritual abuse at home,
in school, and in their communities, as well as abuse on the basis
of their racial background. Drug use by children is also a serious
problem. Children are threatened by exposure to violence through
TV, movies, and electronic media, and are far more prone to commit
violent acts, often posing a menace to society.
Though national leaders throughout the world are well aware of these
challenges, their attention is focused on pursuing national and
economic interests rather than implementing effective measures to
deal with these challenges. It is ordinary people, and the
cities in which they dwell, that suffer most from wars and violence. We,
as representatives of cities, have confirmed once again that it
is the responsibility of cities to protect the human rights of our
citizens and ensure their security.
To create a ‘century of humanity’, in which priority is
given to the security of each individual person as well as to human
interests, we, the participants in this World Conference of Mayors,
jointly appeal to all governments, the United Nations, and other
international organizations, to take the following actions:
| 1. |
Respect the advisory opinion of the International
Court of Justice regarding the illegality of the use of nuclear
weapons and strive to conclude as quickly as possible an international
treaty banning nuclear weapons; halt immediately any program
that might trigger a new arms race in space; and promote total
abolition of all inhumane weapons with the potential to inflict
lasting damage to people and to the environment. |
| 2. |
Further international commitment to regulating
small and light arms which spur local and ethnic conflicts
and take many lives. |
| 3. |
Work toward implementing the actions of the
entire international community to address environmental problems,
including the immediate ratification of the Kyoto Protocol |
| 4. |
Drastically reduce military budgets and use
the enormous funds that will become available to actively
promote the conversion of industrial structures from military
to civilian uses. |
| 5. |
Establish, before the end of the decade,
an international framework to protect children from wars and
other forms of violence in accordance with the U.N. Declaration
of 2001-2010 as the 'International Decade for a Culture of
Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World.' |
| 6. |
Work to resolve social injustice and close
the widening gap between wealth and poverty by promoting a
culture of peace. |
We, in accordance with the Comprehensive Action Plan ratified at
this 5th General Conference, will work even harder to realize the
‘century of humanity’ by actively taking appropriate measures
to promote the Plan, giving particular emphasis to the following:
| 1. |
Work hand-in-hand with international NGOs,
NPOs, and other entities to abolish nuclear weapons and weapons
of mass destruction, to radically reduce levels of conventional
weapons, and to seek reconciliation and encourage confidence-building
among peoples in conflict. |
| 2. |
Strengthen multifaceted cooperation for the
resolution of global problems by linking cities through the
Internet and other means of communication. |
| 3. |
Promote peace education at all levels to
give the children who will lead the 21st century a love of
the earth and respect for all its myriad forms of life; systematize
the meaning of the first-hand experiences of the atomic bombing
in a scholarly way. |
We further declare our strong support for the 2001 Peace Declarations
of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and vow to work in close cooperation
with the public to achieve these objectives.
We hereby resolve the above.
5th World Conference of Mayors for Peace
through Inter-city Solidarity |
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