Measures for strengthening Mayors for Peace’s management system
1. Purport
Since its foundation in 1982, Mayors for Peace has grown to an organization of
5,712 member cities from 157 countries and regions. The membership has
almost doubled from 2,963 as of the time of the 7th General Conference, fouryears ago. However, there are growing gaps in activities between active
members and others, and we face the challenge of how to involve many morecities in our activities. We would like to make our worldwide network strongerand more practical, enabling us to pursue continuous and effective initiatives into
the future. For this purpose, it is essential to raise a sense of participation among
all member cities to facilitate dynamic activities around the globe, as well as tosecure a stable financial base.
In this context, at the executive conference held in Granollers, Spain in
November 2011, it was agreed upon that there exists a necessity to commence
discussions on how to strengthen Mayors for Peace’s management system inorder to put some proposals on the agenda for the 8th General Conference.
Discussion meetings were held to this end by executive and other cities inHanover, Germany in January 2012, in Vienna, Austria in May 2012, in Frogn,
Norway in July 2012, and in Geneva, Switzerland in April 2013. As a result, thefollowing two measures have been designed.
2. Promoting regionalization and galvanizing regional activities
1) Selection of lead cities and their roles
In order to encourage proactive and independent activities appropriate toeach region, we will promote the creation of regional groups. For this end, wewill select a number of lead cities, which serve as chapters for the Hiroshima
Secretariat and take the lead in their regional activities. The lead cities arealso expected to establish an appropriate system as chapters. Following
discussions with candidate cities, the President will select lead cities, which
will then identify countries and areas that will join their regional group. Also,
when non-executive cities have been selected as lead cities, the cities will beappointed to become executive cities.
2) Implementation timing
Fiscal year 2015
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3. Introducing membership fees1) Basic scheme for membership fees
In order to build a system through which all member cities cooperate tosupport the organization while maintaining membership, each city will bear anannual membership fee of 2,000 yen. Furthermore, we will welcome any
voluntary payment of more than 2,000 yen. Cities will not lose theirmembership automatically if they do not pay the fee.
Each city will send the fee through a lead city or directly to the Hiroshima
Secretariat. However, if the Hiroshima Secretariat has agreed that there arecircumstances to be considered, such as the necessity of using the funds forthe chapter’s activities or excessive remittance charges to the Hiroshima
Secretariat, cities can be exempt from sending the fee to Hiroshima. Also,
when deemed appropriate by the Hiroshima Secretariat after consultation witha lead city, cities paying their share to another local governmentalorganization promoting initiatives for nuclear weapons abolition in the same
region can be exempt from sending the fee to the Hiroshima Secretariat.
The fee sent to the Hiroshima Secretariat will be primarily allocated for theimplementation of new projects and the further development of existing
projects as listed in the Action Plan. When surplus is expected, it may beappropriated to the usual running expenses of Mayors for Peace. The cities ofHiroshima and Nagasaki will continue to bear a certain amount of running
expenses. Moreover, when deemed necessary, each region will carry out afundraising campaign in order to expand Mayors for Peace initiatives andsecure a stable financial base.
2) Implementation timing
Fiscal year 2015

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