|
I am grateful to the Austrian Government for convening this conference on the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons.
Achieving complete nuclear disarmament may not be easy.
Yet we are convinced that it is not only possible, but can be greatly accelerated.
A growing variety of civil society groups support this goal.
Support is also expanding at the Governmental level as seen in several multilateral arenas.
Today, I would like to add the voice of Mayors for Peace, consisting of over 6400 mayors in 160 countries and regions.
In August 1945, Hiroshima and Nagasaki were attacked with nuclear weapons, taking the lives of more than 210,000 human beings.
The indescribable suffering of the survivors—the hibakusha—continues today.
Having lived through such a cruel experience, they continue to appeal for nuclear abolition and peace.
Their humanitarian message is: "no one should ever again suffer as we have."
Mayors are responsible to protect the safety and welfare of their citizens.
Inspired by the hibakusha, we know that nuclear abolition serves the interest of cities—cities that do not want to become nuclear weapons targets, cities that want budgets to meet human needs.
The world is increasingly aware of the risks posed by thousands of nuclear weapons, and we know that complete disarmament offers the only guarantee against their use.
Mayors for Peace therefore supports wholeheartedly the spirit of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in striving for disarmament and peace.
We are intensifying our efforts to abolish nuclear weapons by 2020, by expanding our membership and working with diverse civil society partners.
We encourage world leaders to come to Hiroshima and Nagasaki to learn indescribable humanitarian consequences of these weapons.
They will understand why the hibakusha view nuclear weapons as an absolute evil.
We urge them to develop security policies to maintain global peace and security without such inhumane weapons.
The means to abolish nuclear weapons must be grounded in law, the highest form of commitment.
Mayors for Peace is working with many partners to promote such a convention.
We appeal again to the world leaders, in particular the leaders of nuclear-weapon States, as fellow members of one human family, to take bold initiatives towards creating peaceful world free from nuclear weapons.
History is on our side.
Let us all work together to finish the job.
|
