A Press Release from Religions for Peace, PNND, & Mayors for Peace forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
Hiroshima, August 6, 2015
‘Religious leaders, mayors and parliamentarians share the common good of a nuclear-weapon-free world’ announced leaders of Religions for Peace, Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (PNND) and Mayors for Peace at a meeting in Hiroshima today.
‘We join together to highlight the continuing risks of a nuclear catastrophe – whether by accident, miscalculation or intent – and the moral and security imperative to achieve nuclear abolition,’ said Rev Sugitani, Chair of the Religions for Peace Standing Commission on Disarmament and Security.
‘Nearly 16,000 nuclear weapons remain in the world’s arsenals costing $100 billion annually – funds that could instead be used to implement the Sustainable Development Goals,’ said Mr Saber Chowdhury MP, Co-President of PNND and President of the Inter Parliamentary Union. ‘We reaffirm UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s description of the abolition of nuclear weapons as a “common good of the highest order.”
‘The experience of Hiroshima reminds us of why nuclear weapons must be abolished,’ said Mr Kazumi Matsui, Mayor of Hiroshima and President of Mayors for Peace. ‘As long as nuclear weapons exist, anyone could become a Hibakusha (nuclear victim) at any time.’
The three organisations released a joint statement today commemorating the 70th anniversary of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and also the 70th anniversary year of the establishment of the United Nations. The statement notes the vital roles of religious leaders and legislators to achieve a nuclear-weapon-free world.
‘In special ways mayors are responsible for protecting the safety and welfare of their citizens, as well as for preserving and promoting cultural and environmental values and heritages; parliamentarians for national policies and laws for the benefit of present and future generations; and religious leaders for advancing the shared moral principles and respect for the well-being of all people regardless of ethnicity, nationality or religion,’ notes the statement.
‘Together—as mayors, parliamentarians and religious leaders— we support the common good of nuclear abolition. We reject nuclear weapons, which threaten our humanity, contravene our moral principles, violate international law and thwart the safety and well-being of current and future generations.’
The three organisations will circulate the statement for endorsement by religious leaders, mayors and parliamentarians. They will then present it to the United Nations on September 26, the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, in order to support UN initiatives and processes for complete nuclear disarmament.
Contacts:
Alyn Ware, alyn@pnnd.org +41 788 912 156
Kyoichi Sugino ksugino@rfp.org +1 212 687 2163
Shinichiro Murakami mayors@pcf.city.hiroshima.jp +81-82-242-7821
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A Nuclear-Weapon-Free World: Our Common Good
Statement by parliamentarians, mayors and religious leaders to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the onset of the nuclear age and the foundation of the United Nations
From the ashes of World War II, and in the wake of the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the United Nations was established with a common vision to end war and with its first resolution to eliminate “all weapons adaptable to mass destruction.”
70 years later, over 16,000 nuclear weapons remain in the world’s arsenals costing $100 billion annually – funds that could instead be used to reverse climate change, eliminate poverty and address other social and economic needs.
As parliamentarians, mayors and religious leaders we join together to highlight the continuing risks of a nuclear catastrophe – whether by accident, miscalculation or intent – and the moral and security imperative to achieve nuclear abolition.
We reaffirm UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s description of the abolition of nuclear weapons as a “common good of the highest order.”
In special ways mayors are responsible for protecting the safety and welfare of their citizens, as well as for preserving and promoting cultural and environmental values and heritages; parliamentarians for national policies and laws for the benefit of present and future generations; and religious leaders for advancing the shared moral principles and respect for the well-being of all people regardless of ethnicity, nationality or religion.
Together—as mayors, parliamentarians and religious leaders— we support the common good of nuclear abolition. We reject nuclear weapons, which threaten our humanity, contravene our moral principles, violate international law and thwart the safety and well-being of current and future generations.
We commit to principled action to advance shared security and well-being based on deeply held and widely shared moral principles, the rule of law and a profound commitment to non-violent conflict resolution.
We call upon world leaders to commit to nuclear abolition and to replace nuclear deterrence with shared security approaches to conflicts. We further urge states to advance a nuclear weapons convention or framework of agreements that eliminate nuclear weapons.
We pledge to engage our constituencies and to strengthen the cooperation among religious leaders, parliamentarians and mayors to promote this vital mission.
Adopted in Hiroshima on August 6, 2015, for presentation to the United Nations on September 26, the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
Adopted by:
Endorsers:
- Parliamentarians (and former parliamentarians):
· Abacca Anjain Maddison (Marshall Islands), PNND Past-President. Former senator for Rongelap
· AytuÄŸ Atici MP (Turkey), PNND Council Member
· Mani Shankar Aiyar MP (India), PNND Co-President. Chair of the Rajiv Gandhi Action Plan Group for a Nuclear Free and Nonviolent World Order
· Saber Chowdhury MP (Bangladesh), PNND Co-President, President of the Inter Parliamentary Union
· Senator David Coltart (Zimbabwe), PNND Past President. Former Minister of Education, Sports and Culture
· Tarja Cronberg (Finland), PNND Co-President, Former Chair of the European Parliament Contact Group with Iran
· Senator Salwa Damen-Masri (Jordan), PNND Council Member. Chairperson of the Committee for Population and Development
· Paul Dewar MP (Canada), PNND Co-President. Opposition Critic (Spokesperson) on Foreign Affairs
· Kenzo Fujisue MP (Japan), PNND member
· Alena Gajdůšková (Czech Republic), PNND Council member. Former senator. Former Vice-President of the Senate.
· Phil Goff MP (New Zealand). Chair of PNND New Zealand. Former NZ Minister for Disarmament and Arms Control.
· Barbara Gysi MP (Switzerland). PNND Council Member
· Edine von Herold (Costa Rica), PNND Council Member
· Birgitta Jonsdottir MP (Iceland), PNND Council Member
· MK Dov Khenin (Israel), PNND Council Member
· Bill Kidd MSP (Scotland), PNND Co-President, Chair Scottish Parliament Cross-Party Group on Nuclear Disarmament
· Roderich Kiesewetter MdB (Germany), PNND Council Member, Deputy Chairman of the Bundestag Sub-Committee for Disarmament, Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
· Christine Muttonen MP (Austria), PNND Co-President, Vice-President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
· Holger Nielson MP (Denmark), PNND Council member. Former Foreign Minister of Denmark
· Senator David Norris (Ireland), PNND Council Member
· Rudolf Rechsteiner MP (Switzerland), PNND Council Member
· Shane Reti MP (New Zealand). Deputy Chair of PNND New Zealand
· Senator Douglas Roche (Canada), PNND Founding Chair. Former adviser to the Holy See. Former Disarmament Ambassador for Canada
· Senadora Laura Angélica Rojas Hernández (Mexico), Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs International Organizations of the Mexican Senate
· Maryan Street (New Zealand), PNND Council Member. Former Minister of Housing and President of the Labour Party
· Dirk Van der Maelen MP (Belgium), PNND Council Member. Chairman Belgian Parliament Commission for Foreign Affairs.
· Uta Zapf (Germany), PNND Past-President, PNND Representative to Inter Parliamentary Organisations. Former Chair of the Bundestag Subcommittee on Disarmament and Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
Mayors:
· Kazumi Matsui (Japan), Mayor of Hiroshima, President of Mayors for Peace
· Dr. Guy Morin (Switzerland), President (Mayor) of the Basel Stadt Canton. Member of Mayors for Peace
· Thore Vestby (Norway), Mayor of Frogn. Vice-President of Mayors for Peace, PNND Member
· Celia Wade-Brown (Aotearoa-New Zealand), Mayor of Wellington. Executive City Member, Mayors for Peace
