Statement by Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui

Second Session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2020 NPT Review Conference
Geneva, Switzerland
25 April 2018

I wish to begin by expressing my deep appreciation for the longstanding efforts madeby the hibakusha to raise the public’s awareness of the inhumanity of nuclear weapons
through their testimonies of unbearable sorrow. Their fervent appeal for nuclear
abolition remains the most important motivation to counter this threat.
Our deliberations today are occurring amid heightened international tensions as well
as several efforts to revive nuclear disarmament and strengthen nuclear
non-proliferation—including a peaceful solution of the DPRK nuclear-weapons
problem. It is important for these NPT deliberations to fulfill the wishes of people
throughout the world for real progress in these specific fields.
Progress in disarmament, however, remains hindered by the doctrine of nuclear
deterrence and weapon modernization efforts. Their justifications are not credible andserve only to aggravate mutual distrust between states and create new risks of nuclear
weapons use, posing a danger to global security. Together, we must therefore seek abetter long-term solution, one that truly advances the common interests of all nations.
And comprehensive, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization should be pursued toachieve this great goal.
In particular, the States Parties must reaffirm the treaty’s obligation to pursue nuclear
disarmament in good faith and implement concrete disarmament measures without
further delay. I also encourage the Committee to be guided by respect for diversity andto nurture the vision of a common future rooted in a sense of belonging to one humanfamily. Through persistent and conscientious dialogues, we can turn theconfrontational security environment into a cooperative security architecture.
For its part, Mayors for Peace is working to achieve two key objectives: “Realizationof a world without nuclear weapons” and “Realization of safe and resilient cities.”
Thousands of our members are working worldwide for these causes.
We believe that world peace cannot be achieved without protecting the safety andpeaceful lives of ordinary people. That is why we are working first and foremost toabolish nuclear weapons—to protect people from mass destruction. In this endeavor,
we consider it essential to promote the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
as a significant milestone towards our common goal.
At the same time, we are also working hard to cultivate mutual trust and to equip
cities with higher resilience to make them capable to address various issues of theirown, such as sustainable development, the refugee crisis, or countering terrorism.
Through these efforts, working closely with diverse civil society partners, Mayors for
Peace will encourage and support world leaders to take their own initiatives locallyand jointly with a broad global perspective towards a peaceful world without nuclear
weapons.
Anticipating the historic NPT Review Conference in 2020, we must promote concretemeasures for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, to achieve lasting world
peace. We must do this together and we must never rest until they are achieved.