A Mayors for Peace delegation attended the second session of the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) for the 11th Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which met in Geneva, Switzerland. Headed by President MATSUI Kazumi (Mayor of Hiroshima) and Vice President SUZUKI Shiro (Mayor of Nagasaki), the delegation conveyed the hibakusha’s sincere desire for the abolition of nuclear weapons and emphasized the need for advancing nuclear disarmament to representatives of national governments and the UN.
Furthermore, to develop youth leadership for future peace activities, Mayors for Peace sent eight high school students engaging in peace activities in Hiroshima to the PrepCom as “Mayors for Peace Youth” and organized events and meetings, including the Mayors for Peace Youth Forum.
At the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), the venue of the second session of the NPT PrepCom, Mayors for Peace also hosted the Mayors for Peace Atomic Bomb Exhibition and Children’s Art Competition “Peaceful Towns” Exhibition, aiming at having the PrepCom attendees deepen their understanding of the realities of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the inhumanity of nuclear weapons and the initiatives of Mayors for Peace promoting the culture of peace.
Speeches at the NGO presentations session of the Second PrepCom (July 23)
President Matsui emphasized that the experiences of Hiroshima and Nagasaki should be the basis for the abolition of nuclear weapons and profoundly concerned that, with the current international circumstances, nuclear weapons are drastically shifting from weapons that must never be used to weapons that can be used under certain conditions, though Hiroshima and Nagasaki have continued to advocate that nuclear weapons must never be used. He mentioned that the number of visitors to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum has risen to the highest on record and the voice of civil society must not be discounted. He concluded his speech by imploring policymakers to reconsider their support for arms races and for strengthening nuclear capabilities immediately and instead, adopt diplomatic efforts through dialogue and advance concrete nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation measures.
Mayors for Peace statements at the second session of the Preparatory Committee for the 11th NPT Review Conference
by President(Mayor of Hiroshima)・by Vice President(Mayor of Nagasaki)
Meetings with Representatives of National Governments and the UN
Representatives of Nuclear Weapon States
The Mayors for Peace delegation met with representatives of two nuclear weapons states: France and the United States. In the meetings, we explained that both states have Mayors for Peace member cities and referred to the increasing number of peace-loving members of civil society calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons. We implored each representative to value the voice of civil society, adopt diplomatic efforts through dialogue, take initiatives in good faith, and support the initiatives of Mayors for Peace. We also exchanged views on each country’s approach to nuclear disarmament.
(right; July 22)
(center; July 24)
Representative of Japan (July 25)
Ms. Ichikawa, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of Japan to the Conference on Disarmament emphasized that current international security is in an extremely serious condition and presented her view on the necessity of focusing on making progress in disarmament, even if only slightly. She also encouraged the youths who attended the meeting to see the footage and documents related to the reality of the atomic bombings with their own eyes, feel them with their own hearts, and then, to explain those in their own words to many people in their future activities.
In addition to the aforementioned representatives of national governments, we met and exchanged views with PrepCom delegations from Thailand, Mexico and Ireland.
Representative of the UN and other organizations
Meeting and delivering petition to Ms. Nakamitsu, UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs (July 23)
A youth representative handed over a certificate of approximately 44,000 signatures calling for all states to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons at the earliest date to UN Under-Secretary-General Nakamitsu, stating: “These signatures represent the citizens’ desire for peace.” Ms. Nakamitsu mentioned that the dialogue with people who have different opinions is important and encouraged them to take an interest in global events, listen to a variety of opinions, and engage in dialogue to broaden the circle of peace-building.
Meeting with Secretary-General of the UNOG (July 23)
President Matsui and Vice President Suzuki expressed their gratitude to Ms. Valovaya, Director-General of the UNOG, for deciding to extend the period of the permanent atomic bomb exhibition at the UNOG, and expressed their hope that the exhibit would be put to effective use in promoting disarmament policies. Director-General Valovaya expressed that the exhibition is very important for the UNOG and that there was no hesitation in extending its duration. She also expressed her view on the importance of informing the younger generation about nuclear war and nuclear weapons, and said she looked forward to further collaboration between the UNOG and Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Meeting with Chair of the second session of the NPT PrepCom (July 24)
President Matsui expressed his respect to the long-standing efforts of Kazakhstan, home country of Chair Rakhmetullin, toward the abolition of nuclear weapons. He also referred to the exchanges between the City of Hiroshima and the City of Semey in Kazakhstan, and then expressed his hope for further strengthening of cooperation in the future, including expanding membership in Kazakhstan. Vice President Suzuki expressed his expectations for the Preparatory Committee, amid the difficult international situation.
Chair Rakhmetullin responded that while advancing nuclear disarmament measures at the national level is important, input from civil society is also crucial. He also expressed his desire to continue cooperating with the initiatives of Mayors for Peace, and stated that although the situation surrounding the conference was very dire, he would do his best to address the concerns of various stakeholders.
Meeting with Executive Director of UNITAR (July 22)
Executive Director Seth of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) pointed out the increasing number of member cities of Mayors for Peace, he also expressed his hope for further strengthening of our initiatives in the future. He also stated that it is necessary to strongly promote nuclear disarmament in the coming year, which marks the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings. To continue conveying the realities of the atomic bombings to the world and to create an environment in which policymakers cannot ignore the voices of civil society, President Matsui requested further cooperation in collaborating with UNITAR, which specializes in education.
Meeting with Executive Director of ACA (July 25)
Executive Director Kimball of the Arms Control Association stated that the risk of war is increasing globally and that disarmament is facing difficult circumstances, but emphasized that we must not repeat what happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. President Matsui introduced the initiatives of Mayors for Peace in the United States, exchanged views on efforts for the coming year, which marks the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings, and confirmed their continued close cooperation.
Events hosted by Mayors for Peace
Mayors for Peace Youth Forum (July 23)
Mayors for Peace Youth Forum, held as a side event for the PrepCom, featured presentations by eight groups of young people, including Mayors for Peace Youths and young people engaged in peace activities around the world. They also exchanged opinions on challenges in promoting peace initiatives. Participating youths commented, “It was a good opportunity to get to know people of the same age who are involved in a variety of activities and roles,” and “I was reminded of the importance of working toward the abolition of nuclear weapons from various perspectives, without being restricted by traditional frameworks.” In closing remarks, UN Under-Secretary-General Nakamitsu stated that the future belongs to the youth and thus, the youth should always be involved in the decision-making process to make the future better. She encouraged everyone present to continue to be involved in peace activities and to continue to develop them.
Executive Cities’ Meeting for Exchange of Views (July 24)
Delegation members from Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Muntinlupa (Philippines), Granollers (Spain), Biograd na moru (Croatia) and the French Chapter gathered for a meeting, presented their own city’s activities and exchanged their views on the future initiatives. President Matsui advised attendees that, considering the current international severe situation, we should strengthen local activities and create an environment that fosters peace consciousness in civil society and encourages policymakers to make policy changes toward the abolition of nuclear weapons. Vice President Suzuki delivered his hope that good examples shared by attendees would invigorate Mayors for Peace activities.
Mayors for Peace hosted Exhibitions (July 22 – July 29)
During the second session of the NPT PrepCom, Mayors for Peace hosted the Mayors for Peace Atomic Bomb Exhibition and Children’s Art Competition “Peaceful Towns” Exhibition, aiming at having the PrepCom attendees and UN officials deepen their understanding of the realities of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the inhumanity of nuclear weapons and the initiatives of Mayors for Peace promoting the culture of peace. On July 22, President Matsui and Vice President Suzuki received a visit from the Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Mr. Komura and they offered some explanations of the exhibits.
Other Events
Youth Exchange Reception (July 22)
Mayors for Peace Youth, Nagasaki Youth and local students in Geneva were invited to the Youth Exchange Reception hosted by Ambassador Ichikawa with the participation of UN Under-Secretary-General Nakamitsu and Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Komura. During the reception, Mayors for Peace Youth facilitated interactions with other youths by distributing cards with QR codes, linking to hibakusha testimonies, and by introducing each school’s activities and some Japanese culture.
Documentary Film Screening: “Paper Lanterns”(July 23)
Documentary film screening: “Paper Lanterns*” was held as a side event for the PrepCom hosted by the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) and Delegation of Japan to the Conference on Disarmament. In his introductory remarks, President Matsui sincerely hoped that future generations would not repeat the tragic history experienced by those in this film. He hoped that audience could honor the hibakusha message, “No one else should ever suffer as we have”, and this screening would serve as motivaion to help pave the way to a better future.
*This documentary film features the work of Mr. Shigeaki Mori, who had searched for the identities of the 12 American prisoners of war who died in the Hiroshima atomic bombing for over 40 years.
