Mayors for Peace sent a delegation, including President Kazumi Matsui (Mayor of Hiroshima), Vice President Shiro Suzuki (Mayor of Nagasaki), and Secretary General Takehiro Kagawa (Chairperson of the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation), to the Second Meeting of States Parties (2MSP) to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), held in New York City in November 2023, and they called for increased efforts to further assure the effective implementation of the TPNW, and emphasized the need for advancing nuclear disarmament toward the total elimination of nuclear weapons to the representatives of national governments and the UN.
　　Moreover, Mayors for Peace hosted a joint side event for the 2MSP with ICAN (International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons) aimed at building momentum for achieving a peaceful world free of nuclear weapons.

Speeches at the General Exchange of Views of the TPNW 2MSP

President Matsui delivered the Mayors for Peace statement during the General Exchange of Views session. He pointed out that distrust is escalating between nuclear-armed states and non-nuclear-weapon states due to nuclear threats, and this could potentially lead to a situation that completely undermines the fervent plea of the hibakusha. He expressed the resolve of Mayors for Peace to foster a sense of peace among citizens and to promote a culture of peace that negates all forms of violence, and concluded his speech by appealing to all delegations to share the same goal of realizing a nuclear-weapon-free world and to take steady steps together to achieve it.

Meetings with Delegation Representatives

Mayors for Peace representatives met with the head of the delegation of Ireland, Kazakhstan, Thailand and Australia, and exchanged views on future efforts to improve the effectiveness of the TPNW and the importance of education for young people, and further expressed hope for future possible collaborations to expand Mayors for Peace membership.
　　They also met and exchanged views with the United Nations Secretary-General, the President of TPNW 2MSP, the Executive Director of ICAN, and members of the United States House of Representatives.

Events

Mayors for Peace and ICAN Joint Side Event

Mayors for Peace and ICAN hosted a Joint Side Event for the 2MSP, Voices of Civil Society for a Nuclear-Weapon-Free World.
　　The event began with opening remarks from Ms. Parke, ICAN's Secretary General, and was facilitated by Ms. Suzuka Nakamura, representative of KNOW NUKES TOKYO.
　　As part of the "Message from Hiroshima" session, following an introduction from President Matsui, Mr. Toshiyuki Mimaki, a hibakusha of the Hiroshima atomic bombing, shared experiences of his family and his own. He called upon policymakers around the globe to take action for the eradication of war and the elimination of nuclear weapons. As part of the "Message from Nagasaki" session, following an introduction from Vice President Suzuki, Dr. Masao Tomonaga, a hibakusha of the Nagasaki atomic bombing, mentioned his involvement in the formation process of the TPNW, and urged for a sense of solidarity among citizens across the globe.
　　Following a presentation from young representatives from the U.S. and Germany, the "Interactive session between the hibakusha and youth" was held.
　　The event concluded with closing remarks by Mayor Frank Cownie of Des Moines, U.S., Vice President of Mayors for Peace. He introduced his city's initiatives and appealed for increased support for the activities of Mayors for Peace.

Mayors for Peace Atomic Bomb Exhibition

At the venue of the 2MSP, over the Meeting's period (Nov.27 - Dec.1), Mayors for Peace hosted the Mayors for Peace Atomic Bomb Exhibition, aimed at having the 2MSP attendees and UN-related individuals 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.