Thank you for your continued support for and cooperation in the Hiroshima Prefectural Government’s promotion of peace.

 

Achieving a peaceful international community without nuclear weapons is a long-cherished hope of the survivors of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, the first in human history, who are still experiencing enormous suffering 75 years after the bombing, and an important mission for us in Hiroshima, the prefecture that suffered the unprecedented tragedy caused by the bombing.

 

Although the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference will be held this April as the most important process of multilateral negotiations for nuclear disarmament, it is inferred that the very serious current situation concerning nuclear weapons will prevent the conference from adopting an agreement. We have a strong sense of crisis, fearing that the conference’s failure as a result of the lack of effective improvement efforts will lead immediately to the collapse of the international nuclear disarmament framework and consequently to a limitless nuclear arms race.

 

In this situation, we feel very reassured by the Japanese government’s active efforts to increase momentum for nuclear disarmament, including hosting the Track 1.5 Meeting for Substantive Advancement of Nuclear Disarmament with the attendance of government officials and private-sector experts from countries including nuclear-weapon states as its new initiative in preparation for the NPT Review Conference.

 

We urge the Japanese government to play its role as the government of the only A-bomb-attacked country in bridging the gap between nuclear-weapon states and non-nuclear-weapon states and exercise its strong leadership in achieving a successful conference toward a peaceful global society without nuclear weapons.

 

We understand that postponement of the conference is currently being discussed in light of the worldwide spread of the new coronavirus disease. Even if the conference is postponed, we again urge the Japanese government to sustain its efforts toward continued discussions between NPT state parties in preparation for the conference and a concrete result that would contribute to the abolition of nuclear weapons.

 

March 26, 2020
YUZAKI Hidehiko
Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture