The Mayors for Peace Executive Conference was held on October 17 and 18, 2003 in Manchester, the United Kingdom. The Executive Cities in attendance confirmed past actions and discussed future steps toward a peaceful world free from nuclear weapons.

             All participating members welcomed the rapid growth of the Mayors for Peace, which now boasts 554 city members in 107 countries and territories. Members also expressed gratification that so many cities care so passionately about creating or protecting peace; they further expressed satisfaction that the Conference is becoming a more effectively organized international network of cities. Given increasing international recognition that eliminating nuclear weapons is an urgent task, the Mayors for Peace recognize the need to strengthen its permanent activities. Based on this recognition, the Executive Cities agreed to intensify efforts with respect to the following seven items:

1. Mayors for Peace will intensify efforts regarding the following items already provided for in the Overall Action Plan.

(1) Increase the number of member cities in Nuclear-weapon States (NWS) and suspected NWS.
(2) Establish regional chapters of Mayors for Peace.
(3) Promote establishment of Hiroshima-Nagasaki Peace Study Courses in colleges and universities around the world.

(4) Construct a framework for protecting children from war and violence.

(5) Construct a system for the rapid and effective exchange of information over the Internet.

(6) Approach potential sponsors to obtain financial assistance with the above tasks.

2. In addition, the Mayors for Peace will actively support the Emergency Campaign to Ban Nuclear Weapons. The member cities will endeavor to raise consciousness among municipal governments and residents around the world, focusing primarily on the NPT Preparatory Committee in April 2004, Hiroshima and Nagasaki Days in August 2004, and the NPT Review Conference in April 2005. Member cities will work with international organizations, local peace groups and NGOs to carry out the campaign against nuclear weapons. Member cities will also support the lobbying campaign to ensure that the final document emerging from the 2005 Review Conference provides a clear roadmap to the elimination of nuclear weapons.

3. The General Conference has heretofore been held every four years in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Executive Conference has now agreed that Hiroshima and Nagasaki will henceforth take turns hosting the event.

4. The Sixth General Conference will be held in 2005. This is an extremely important year because it is the sixtieth anniversary of the atomic bombings and because of the NPT Review Conference. One possibility, of course, is to hold it in Hiroshima in August as usual. Another possibility is to hold it in New York timed to coincide with the Review Conference. We will explore these alternatives further.

5. The Secretariat will survey opinion among the member cities and use the findings to improve the operation of the General Conference.

6. The Resolution on the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons adopted by the Executive Conference will be sent to the governments of NWS, states suspected of developing or possessing nuclear weapons, and the United Nations, along with a request to maintain and strengthen the nuclear nonproliferation regime.

7. This Final Communiqué will be sent to all member cities.


October 18, 2003

6^th Executive Conference of the Mayors for Peace