Mr. Takashi Koizumi, the Secretary-General of Mayors for Peace (chairperson of this Foundation) took the opportunity of his visit to Europe to attend the 11^th Executive Conference of Mayors for Peace to visit Geneva, Switzerland. He met with United Nations and various government representatives, and asked for understanding and support of Mayors for Peace initiatives prior to 2020, which marks an important year with the NPT (Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons) Review Conference and other events planned. Mr. Koizumi first met with Ms. Elayne Whyte Gomez, the Costa Rican ambassador to the UN in Geneva. Mr. Koizumi said that although the current situation is similar to the chaotic situation in the Middle East in 2015, which lead to the derailment of the 2015 Review Conference, there are over one thousand Mayors for Peace member cities in Iran, and thus from the civic society perspective there are some positive aspects. He expressed his hope that the ambassador will work toward the success of the 2020 NPT Review Conference and the entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
　Mr. Koizumi next met with Ms. Kathleen Lawand, Head of Arms Unit at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Ms. Lawand expressed her fear that the termination of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty between the United States and Russia would lead to the inability to legally regulate nuclear weapons, and said that in that sense, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons provides some hope. She also stated that the activities of Mayors for Peace, an organization made up of cities all over the world, are extremely important, as cities are the target of nuclear weapons. Mr. Koizumi asked for her continued cooperation in Mayors for Peace initiatives.
　Mr. Koizumi next met with Dr. John Borrie, Research Coordinator of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR). He spoke about the importance of civic society, international organizations and NGOs working together for the abolition of nuclear weapons.
　Dr. Borrie said that while we will mark the 50^th anniversary of the NPT in 2020, the situation for nuclear disarmament is currently extremely difficult, and that this is now also creating divisions between nuclear weapon states and non-nuclear weapon states regarding the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. He said that it is precisely because we are in this situation that it is important that civic society creates pressure for nuclear disarmament. 　Mr. Koizumi met with Ms. Tatiana Valovaya, the Director-General of the United Nations at Geneva. Ms. Valovaya stated that the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) match with the aims of Mayors for Peace. She also said that she would like to use the opportunities of the 10^th General Conference of Mayors for Peace and the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics in 2020 to appeal to the world for the abolition of nuclear weapons.
　Ms. Valovaya said that she is aware that 2020 is an important year for Mayors for Peace, as it is the 75^th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb, and stated that she would fully support to Mayors for Peace activities. She also spoke about the importance of communicating what happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki to young people.
　Mr. Koizumi next met with Mr. Nobushige Takamizawa, the Ambassador for Disarmament of the Delegation of Japan to the Conference on Disarmament. Mr. Takamizawa referred to the fact that the resolution for the abolition of nuclear weapons that Japan proposed in 2019 was adopted at the 1^st Committee of the United Nations General Assembly. He explained that in order to ensure that the 2020 NPT Review Conference is a success, rather than adhering to past resolutions, they should be renewed.
　Mr. Koizumi also met with Ms. Beatrice Fihn, the Executive Director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). Ms. Fihn expressed her gratitude for the ties of solidarity with Mayors for Peace. She said that she is greatly inspired by the Mayors for Peace approach of aiming for the abolition of nuclear weapons from the perspective of protecting the safety and security of citizens, and this has led to the commencement of the ICAN Cities Appeal (where municipalities in countries that have not ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons lobby their own governments to sign the treaty).
　All those with whom Mr. Koizumi met this time had a common awareness of the great importance of the role that civic society plays in the abolition of nuclear weapons. This is the same direction as that taken by Mayors for Peace, who promote the creation of an environment that developed awareness of the importance of peace in civic society and pushes political leaders to change their policies. The meetings demonstrated the need to continue to steadily implement initiatives that aim for the realization of a world without nuclear weapons.