Delegation attended the Second Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

A Mayors for Peace delegation, including President MATSUI Kazumi (Mayor of Hiroshima), Vice President SUZUKI Shiro (Mayor of Nagasaki), and Secretary General KAGAWA Takehiro, attended the Second Meeting of States Parties (2MSP) to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which met in New York. At the 2MSP, they expressed their profound concern regarding the devastating humanitarian consequences of the use of nuclear weapons; called for increased efforts to further assure the effective implementation of the TPNW; and emphasized the need for advancing nuclear disarmament toward the total elimination of nuclear weapons—to the representatives of national governments and the UN.

Moreover, Mayors for Peace hosted a joint side event for the 2MSP with ICAN (International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons) aimed at building momentum for achieving a peaceful world free of nuclear weapons.

Furthermore, at the United Nations Headquarters, the venue of the 2MSP, Mayors for Peace hosted the Mayors for Peace Atomic Bomb Exhibition to have the 2MSP attendees deepen their understanding of the realities of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the initiatives of Mayors for Peace.

Mayors for Peace representatives met with the head of the delegation of Ireland—the country appointed as one of two informal facilitators to further explore and articulate possible areas of tangible cooperation between the TPNW and the NPT. At the meeting with Director Clare Brosnan of Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, Department of Foreign Affairs, Ireland, President Matsui conveyed respect for Ireland’s longstanding commitment to nuclear disarmament and its significant contribution to the formation of the TPNW. President Matsui further expressed hope for future possible collaborations to expand Mayors for Peace membership in Ireland, as well as for youth peace education programs in cooperation with the City of Hiroshima.

Mayors for Peace representatives met with a representative of the delegation of Kazakhstan—the country serving as the Co-Chair of the informal working group on victim assistance, environmental remediation, international cooperation and assistance. Kazakhstan was also elected as the President of the 3MSP during the 2MSP.

At the meeting with Ambassador Akan Rakhmetullin, Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the United Nations, President Matsui conveyed respect for Kazakhstan’s longstanding commitment to a world without nuclear weapons and expressed hope for continued cooperation with the City of Semey, where holds the former nuclear test site. He also stated that Mayors for Peace will continue its initiatives to widely convey the consequences of the use and testing of nuclear weapons in its efforts to build a shared consensus across civil society never to allow such tragedies to occur again.

Mayors for Peace representatives met with the head of the delegation of Thailand—the country appointed as one of two informal facilitators to further explore and articulate possible areas of tangible cooperation between the TPNW and the NPT.

At the meeting with Ambassador Suriya Chindawongse, Permanent Representative of Thailand to the United Nations, President Matsui conveyed gratitude for Thailand’s continued endorsement of the Mayors for Peace Atomic Bomb Exhibition following the 1MSP. President Matsui also expressed hope for further collaboration with Thailand in implementing Mayors for Peace initiatives to gain and foster public support for the elimination of nuclear weapons at the citizens level.

President Matsui expressed gratitude to Ms. Susan Templeman, a member of the Australian Parliament (House of Representatives), for her support for the expansion of Mayors for Peace membership in Australia, and asked for her continued cooperation in Mayors for Peace efforts to reach 10,000 member cities and realize a world in which citizens benefit from safe and resilient living. President Matsui also inquired about the reasons behind Australia’s decision to participate as an Observer in the 2MSP. They exchanged views on the significance of youth education, as today’s youth will become the ones electing policymakers in the future.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres mentioned that nuclear disarmament and the elimination of nuclear weapons are high priorities of the UN, as stated in its “A New Agenda for Peace.” He shared his view that the only way to guarantee that nuclear weapons are never used is to eliminate all of them. He further emphasized that the input from and voices of citizens and municipalities are of great importance and highly valued. He expressed his support for the initiatives of Mayors for Peace working for lasting peace in solidarity with cities around the globe.

President Matsui responded by expressing determination to further our effort for the promotion of the culture of peace and peace education for youth, and asked Secretary-General Guterres to deepen the collaboration between Mayors for Peace and the UN, including the support for the Youth Leader Fund for a World without Nuclear Weapons initiative, which is currently being developed and prepared by the UN and the Japanese Government.

President Matsui expressed expectation that the discussion during this Meeting will lead to further ensuring the effective implementation of the TPNW, and sought support for the expansion of Mayors for Peace membership, emphasizing that it would enhance our efforts to promote the culture of peace and encourage and prompt policymakers to take substantive actions for the elimination of nuclear weapons.

In response, Ambassador Juan Ramón de la Fuente Ramírez, President of the 2MSP, agreed to encourage municipalities in Mexico to join the Mayors for Peace network, and emphasized the significant role of the hibakusha and cities in the process of achieving the elimination of nuclear weapons. He stated that forthcoming challenges include creating opportunities for the voices of the hibakusha to be heard and allowing cities to express their perspectives.

President Matsui conveyed congratulations on assuming the office, and introduced the initiatives of Mayors for Peace. He requested continued collaboration to raise awareness globally of the long-term consequences of the use and testing of nuclear weapons and the harms they cause to human bodies and the environment.

Executive Director Melissa Parke of ICAN mentioned that civil society has the power to influence policymakers, emphasizing the significant role it plays in enhancing and securing the effective implementation and development of the treaty. Executive Director Parke shared her plan to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki in January 2024 and expressed hope to continue close collaboration with Mayors for Peace.

Representative James McGovern introduced his activities in the field, including his resolution Embracing the goals and provisions of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons submitted to the United States House of Representatives, and mentioned that the resolution currently has endorsements from approximately 40 members of Congress.

Acknowledging the importance and significant impact the resolution brings, President Matsui requested support for the expansion of Mayors for Peace membership in the U.S. He expressed hope for future collaboration toward the realization of a world without nuclear weapons, which Rep. McGovern agreed to.

Mayors for Peace and ICAN hosted a Joint Side Event for the 2MSP, Voices of Civil Society for a Nuclear-Weapon-Free World. Amid a crowded audience of over 60 people, Executive Director Parke of ICAN opened the event with her message.

Under the facilitation of Ms. Suzuka Nakamura, representative of KNOW NUKES TOKYO, the event proceeded as follows. As part of the “Message from Hiroshima” session, following an introduction from President Matsui, Mr. Toshiyuki Mimaki, a hibakusha of the Hiroshima atomic bombing, shared experiences of his family and his own. He called upon policymakers around the globe to take action for the eradication of war and the elimination of nuclear weapons. As part of the “Message from Nagasaki” session, following an introduction from Vice President Suzuki, Dr. Masao Tomonaga, a hibakusha of the Nagasaki atomic bombing, mentioned his involvement in the formation process of the TPNW, and urged for a sense of solidarity among citizens across the globe.

Following a presentation from young representatives from the U.S. and Germany who participated in the Hiroshima G7 Youth Summit, which was held in April 2023 and organized by ICAN and its supporters, the “Interactive session between the hibakusha and youth” was held.

The event concluded with closing remarks by Mayor Frank Cownie of Des Moines, U.S., Vice President of Mayors for Peace. He introduced his city’s initiatives and appealed for increased support for the activities of Mayors for Peace.