| 2010 World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates |
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Hiroshima Mayor Akiba making a welcome speech at
the opening session |
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Participants in a discussion session |
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First Time Summit Held Outside of Europe
The 2010 World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates was held from November 12
to 14 last year in Hiroshima City, which was marking the 65th year since
the atomic bombing. The World Summit brings Nobel peace laureates together
and organizes discussions on peace. The theme of this summit was, "The
Legacy of Hiroshima: A World without Nuclear Weapons", and this was
the first World Summit held outside of Europe.
To support the success of the Summit and develop a welcoming feeling
in the local community, Hiroshima City worked with Hiroshima Prefecture,
the Hiroshima Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the UNITAR (United
Nations Institute for Training and Research) Hiroshima Office, to establish
a Supporting Council for the 2010 World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates.
The Council maintained close contact with the Permanent Secretariat for
the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, which organizes the event, and
set up the venue as well as providing the simultaneous interpreting required
for the event. |
In attendance at the summit were six Nobel peace laureates, including
Frederik De Klerk, former President of the Republic of South Africa, and
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, as well as representatives of 13 laureate
organizations including the United Nations (UN) and the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA). November 12 to 13 offered on six separate sessions,
and on November 14 the Peace Appeal was presented in Peace Memorial Park.
During the Peace Appeal on the last day, the Peace Summit Award was presented
to the Italian soccer player Roberto Baggio, who has been promoting actions
towards world peace |
Nobel laureates visiting the Cenotaph for the A-Bomb Victims |
with great enthusiasm. Alongside Mr. Baggio, the Japan Confederation of
A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, representing atomic bomb survivors
who have devoted their lives to communicating the terror of atomic weapons
to all humanity, was presented with the Peace Summit Special Award, a tribute
to their dedication and courage.
As a summary of the summit, the Hiroshima Declaration on the Abolition
of Nuclear Weapons was announced, incorporating six specific recommendations,
including steps leading to a universal treaty to abolish nuclear weapons.
It was decided to establish a Nobel Peace Laureates Action Committee, to
lead a concrete actions to abolish nuclear weapons. At the end of the Peace
Appeal, Co-President Veltroni used Japanese to close the World Summit with
the two words "Arigato Hiroshima", ending it on a very successful note. |
Presentation of the Peace Summit Special Award to Japan Confederation of
A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organization |
Participation by Citizens and Young People
The World Summit drew approximately 2,550 people to the sessions, and approximately 7,000 people to the Peace Appeal, bringing the total number of citizens in attendance to around 10,000 people. Through the discussions at the sessions, the participants were provided with the wonderful opportunity of direct contact with the wisdom of the Nobel Peace laureates.
Dynamic actions by the young people who will bear responsibility for
the future were also prominent at the summit. Over 200 student volunteers
participated in the operation of the summit, helping with reception, interpreting
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many events. There were also around 400 students from all over Japan who
participated in the sessions, listening to discussions among people who
represent the wisdom of the world and actively asking questions on peace
issues.
The opening session on November 12 featured a chorus and welcome greeting
by around 130 children from Hiroshima Municipal Noborichou Elementary School.
Students from Hiroshima Municipal Technical High School presented gold
paper cranes to the Nobel peace laureates. On November 14, the Peace Appeal
was held in Peace Memorial Park. The students of Hiroshima Municipal Funairi
High School gave a wind instrument performance when the Nobel laureates
entered and left the venue. In this way, young people created a warm atmosphere. |
Message to the World
The World Summit brought Nobel peace laureates to Hiroshima, the site of
the atomic bombing, to discuss actions to achieve the abolition of nuclear
weapons. The summit became a high-profile event covered by 304 journalists
from 56 foreign media organizations. It was reported in many newspapers
during the event, and Japanese television stations devoted a total of over
3 hours 20 minutes to coverage of the event. NHK and TV Tokyo aired special
programs on the summit. The event was also reported throughout the world
by global media such as the BBC in the UK, CNN in the US, |
Presentation of the Peace Summit Award to Roberto Baggio |
German national television and AFP in France, making this year's summit
a great opportunity to communicate information from Hiroshima to the world.
The Hiroshima Declaration on the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons announced
at the summit was similar in content and direction to the Hiroshima Appeal
adopted at the Hiroshima Conference for the Total Abolition of nuclear
Weapons by 2020 held in July last year. The actions of the Nobel laureates
will generate great synergies with the initiatives of Hiroshima, Nagasaki,
and Mayors for Peace, and are expected to further build international momentum
for the abolition of nuclear weapons. |
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| (Peace Promotion Division, the City of Hiroshima) |
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