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Mayors for Peace send delegation for the Preparatory Committee for the 2020 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference
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Mayors for Peace sent a delegation to the first Preparatory Committee for the 2020 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference held in Vienna, Austria, in May 2017.
They once again appealed for the United Nations and state policymakers to fulfil their duty under Article 6 of the NPT to earnestly undertake nuclear disarmament negotiations, and also asked for understanding and cooperation for Mayors for Peace activities.
As side events, Mayors for Peace held an A-bomb poster exhibition and a youth forum at the venue.
May 2
Mayors for Peace Secretary-General Mr. Yasuyoshi Komizo (Chairperson of this Foundation) met with Dr. Lassina Zerbo, Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), and explained activities by Mayors for Peace for the abolition of nuclear weapons.
Dr. Zerbo expressed understanding for those activities, and stated that he would support them in the future.
May 3
Mr. Komizo met with Mr. Yukiya Amano, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
They had a discussion about how Mayors for Peace and the IAEA should proceed with their activities at this time, in a situation of increased antagonism over the abolition of nuclear weapons.
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After this, Mr. Komizo read out a speech by Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui, President of Mayors for Peace, at the NGO session of the Preparatory Committee.
In the speech, Mayor Matsui emphasized once again the importance of the obligation stipulated in the Article 6 of the NPT to conduct sincere negotiations on nuclear disarmament.
He also appealed to the world's leaders to deepen mutual understanding and take the lead to build a new security framework.
This was followed by a speech by Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue, Vice-President of Mayors for Peace, who communicated a message to the nations of the world that rather than deciding from the start
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Mr. Komizo reads a speech by Mayor Matsui
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that a nuclear weapons convention is impossible, they should have the courage to participate in negotiations.
May 4
Mayor Taue and Mr. Komizo visited the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and had a discussion with the Secretary-General for Foreign Affairs Michael Linhart.
Dr. Linhart stated that he would like to contribute to the achievement of a world free of nuclear weapons.
May 5
The delegation met with Ambassador Mitsuru Kitano of the Permanent Mission of Japan to the International Organizations in Vienna.
They said that they would like the Japanese government
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High school representatives handed the certificate of signatures to Mr. van der Kwast
Mr. van der Kwast (left) and Mayor Matsui
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to properly support the wishes of hibakusha, and to provide a proactive proposal on the abolition of nuclear weapons.
After this, the delegation met with Mr. Henk Cor van der Kwast (Netherlands), the chair-delegate of the first session of the Preparatory Committee.
At that meeting, representatives of the eight high school students who supported the activities of Mayors for Peace by participating in a drive for "No nuclear weapons from Hiroshima / petition campaign", and who were sent to the Preparatory Committee by Mayors for Peace, handed Mr. van der Kwast the certificate of signatures calling for a Nuclear Weapons Convention.
Mr. van der Kwast conveyed his high expectations for the young generation.
After the petition was handed over, they held a discussion with Mr. van der Kwast, where Mayor Matsui expressed his hope for the next conference to negotiate a treaty banning nuclear weapons, saying that nuclear and non-nuclear weapons states must overcome their difference and make their utmost efforts for the success of the negotiations.
This was followed by a meeting with Austria's Ambassador for Disarmament Mr. Kuglitsch, who said that deterrence is no longer a valid security policy, and that he is hoping for support from civic society to encourage as many nations as possible to participate in the treaty banning nuclear weapons.
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May 6
The Mayors for Peace Executive Cities' Meeting for Exchange of Views was held.
Eight cities, mainly from Europe, had an active discussion on measures being taken by various nations for the abolition of nuclear weapons and initiatives that reflect the characteristics of each region.
Through these discussions, participants reaffirmed that the importance of not only abolishing nuclear weapons, but also addressing issues that the member cities are facing such as terrorism, refugees and other regional issues, in order to achieve perpetual peace in the midst of increasing global tension.
It was decided that they would discuss how leader cities can further enhance and strengthen regional initiatives at the Mayors for Peace General Conference to be held in Nagasaki in August.
After the discussion, Mayor Mitsui and Mr. Komizo met with Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, Director General Emeritus of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Dr. ElBaradei suggested that Mayors for Peace should try to send a message in particular to the young generation.
In response, Mayor Matsui said that he intends to implement peace education measures targeting the next generation, looking fifty years ahead.
May 7
Discussions were held with Ms. Laura Rockwood, Executive Director and Ms. Angela Kane, Senior Fellow of the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-proliferation.
They spoke about the current state of efforts aimed at the abolition of nuclear weapons.
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May 8
Mayor Matsui met with Ms. Izumi Nakamitsu, United Nations Under Secretary General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, and handed her a letter to UN Secretary General Mr. António Guterres, requesting him to give the keynote speech at the 9th General Conference of the Mayor for Peace, to be held in Nagasaki in August.
Ms. Nakamitsu said that she would proactively examine together with the Secretary General the possibility of attending the General Conference.
The delegation also observed a speech by Ms. Nakamitsu at the Preparatory Committee.
In her speech, Ms. Nakamitsu said the threat
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Mayor Matsui hands the letter to Ms. Nakamitsu
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of nuclear weapons is the biggest factor that worsens the world security situation and nuclear and non-nuclear nations should play their roles respectively to take forward nuclear disarmament.
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Mayors for Peace Youth Forum
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Mayors for Peace Youth Forum was held as a side event.
At the forum, high school students from Hiroshima joined youth delegations from Nagasaki, Volgograd (Russia) and other Mayors for Peace member cities to give presentations on their own activities and their thoughts on peace.
The young people from Hiroshima and Nagasaki overcame the language barrier to give confident presentations.
Young people from member cities who had visited Hiroshima up to 2016 as part of projects such as "HIROSHIMA and PEACE" and "International Youth Conference for Peace in the Future, Hiroshima", participated through the online conference system or sent video messages.
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After this, Mayor Matsui met with Ambassador Patricia O'Brien, Permanent Mission of Ireland to the United Nations and other International Organizations at Geneva, and said that it will be important to deepen mutual understanding through dialogue, rather than make threats, to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons.
Ambassador O'Brien said that Mayors for Peace are continuing with meaningful and attractive activities, and that she evaluates them very highly.
May 2–12
During the time when the Preparatory Conference was held, a Mayors for Peace Exhibition was held at the venue, the Vienna International Center.
This enabled conference participants to further their understanding of the realities of the damage from the atomic bomb.
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| (Peace and International Solidarity Promotion Division) |
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