1 Overall Overview

The Delegates from Hiroshima Prefecture/ HOPe led by Governor Yuzaki joined the 2nd Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, held at the U.N. Headquarters in New York, as Governor’s first participation in the series. We conducted outreach for the elimination of nuclear weapons by Reporting its efforts made by Hiroshima Prefecture/HOPe

【Schedule】 　November 26, 2023 – December 1, 2023
【Place】　New York, United States
【Activities】

 ○　Participating in the thematic discussion on humanitarian impact of nuclear weapon as a panelist.
○　Hosting Side Events: ” Advancing Global Agenda for a Nuclear-Weapon-Free World: – Bridging Humanity, Security, and Sustainability”
○　 Participating in the side event organized by Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Kiribati as a panelist.
○　 Participating in the side event organized by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute （SIPRI）as a panelist.

○　 Outreach activities toward relevant parties from the U.N. and various countries　

（a） Ambassador Kimihiro ISHIKANE, Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations

（b）Ambassador Elayne Whyte, Professor of Practice at Johns Hopkins University SAIS

（c）Ms. Ana Jimenez de la Hoz, Permanent Representative of Spain to the United Nations

（d）Ambassador Juan Ramón de la Fuente, President of Second Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition on Nuclear Weapons

○　  Banner display at the venue of the first meeting of the preparatory committee for the NPT Review Conference

２ Main Activities

Outreach Activities at the Second Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

　 Governor Yuzaki spoke as a panelist of the thematic discussion on the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons at the main session of the second Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. He gave a presentation on the elimination of nuclear weapons from the perspective of establishing alternative security systems beyond nuclear deterrance and the perspective of sustainability of the planet and humanity. In the Q&A session after the presentation, participants in the meeting of states parties asked questions one after another, deepening the discussion about the prefecture’s efforts.
　We also hosted a side event on the nexus between nuclear weapons and sustainability. Moreover, Governor Yuzaki spoke as a panelist at the side event organized by the governments of Kazakhstan and Kiribati, as well as at the side event by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), and joined discussions for the elimination of nuclear weapons.
　In addition, Governor Yuzaki directly met the relevant parties from the U.N. and government officials from various countries and encouraged them to support the efforts made by Hiroshima Prefecture/HOPe. We also organized a banner display at the venue to introduce the Hiroshima Initiative and the Hiroshima Report.

Participating in the Thematic Discussion on Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapon as a Panelist

　 The Governor Yuzaki spoke as a panelist of the thematic discussion on the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons at the main session. After the panelist’s presentation, a discussion was held based on questions from government officials and civil society groups.

【Date】 　November 26, 2023 10：00～13：00
【Place】Trusteeship Council（ UN Headquarters in New York ）
【Theme】 What can be done to uphold the prohibition on nuclear weapons? Areas of opportunity for new research and innovative policies.

【Panelists】

・Mr. Moritz Kütt, Scientific Advisory Group
・Mr. Richard Lennane, International Committee of the Red Cross
・Mr. Hidehiko YUZAKI, Governor of the Hiroshima Prefecture
・Ms. Karina Lester, First Nations Australia

・Ms. Ereti Tekabwaia, Kiribati National Tourism Office

【Participants】 Government officials and Civil society groups

【 Main Statements from Hiroshima Prefecture 】

•  Toward the elimination of nuclear weapons, we would like to make the proposals of establishing alternative security systems beyond nuclear deterrence and promoting the elimination of nuclear weapons from the perspective of sustainability of the planet and humanity.
• Establishing alternative security systems that do not rely on nuclear deterrence: Nuclear deterrence is based on the assumption that nuclear weapons can intimidate an opponent’s actions, but this can well be broken anytime. Accordingly, it is necessary to establish security systems that do not rely on nuclear weapons, and we are conducting research with experts. The entire world’s participation in the search for new security systems will surely help encourage countries to become signatories of the TPNW.
• Promoting the elimination of nuclear weapons from the perspective of sustainability: It is necessary to communicate to a wide array of experts, activists and people that the elimination of nuclear weapons will surely generate much needed resources to bring us closer to a sustainable and prosperous future for the earth and for ourselves. We seek to mainstream and universalize the pursuit of peace and prosperity in a nuclear weapon-free future.

【 Main Questions and Comments for Hiroshima Prefecture 】

<<Question from Mexico>>
　　Various kinds of resistance are expected against interdisciplinary discussions. How will you deal with them?

(Response from the Prefecture)

The issue of global warming has now become universal after starting as a scientific research theme and then spreading among citizens and policymakers. Following this example, we’d like to universalize our proposals by taking advantage of heated discussions on the inclusion of the abolition of nuclear weapons in the next U.N. Development Goals and by ensuring that the content of such discussions will gain attention from policymakers and the media.

<<Question from New Zealand>>
　　What is your focus as you approach the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing?

(Response from the Prefecture)

We would like not only to build alternative security systems that do not rely on nuclear deterrence and promote the elimination of nuclear weapons from the perspective of sustainability but also to encourage the business society to contribute to peace by holding the Hiroshima Business Forum for Global Peace in 2025.

<< Comment from Brazil >>

For countries that belong to nuclear-weapon-free zones, research on nuclear deterrence is not an urgent issue, so it is very encouraging that the Hiroshima Prefecture is taking the initiative. All the more because security concerns are on the rise today, research on the establishment of alternative security systems beyond nuclear deterrence will lead to ratification and signing of the TPNW by non-party states.

Hosting Side Events ” Advancing Global Agenda for a Nuclear-Weapon-Free World: – Bridging Humanity, Security, and Sustainability”

　 To universalize the idea that the issue of nuclear weapons is a critical challenge that definitely needs to be addressed in the pursuit of a sustainable future, we engaged in a discussion on how to reconsider the issue of nuclear weapons from the multifaceted perspective of sustainability in the fields of society, economy, the environment, etc. without being restricted to the conventional areas of military affairs and security, as well as how to share the issue with a wide variety of stakeholders.

【Date】 November 29, 2023
【Venue】Conference Room A （ UN Headquarters in New York ）
【Theme】Advancing Global Agenda for a Nuclear-Weapon-Free World: – Bridging Humanity, Security, and Sustainability
【Moderator / Panelists】
Moderator  ： Mr. Kunihiko SHIMADA, Principal Director of HOPe 　
Panelists ：
　・Dr. Rebecca Gibbons (University of Southern Maine , Co-chair, Beyond Nuclear Deterrence Working Group)

・ Mr. Shinobu YAMAGUCHI (Senior Advisor, Japan Unit, Bureau for External Relations and Advocacy, UNDP)

【Participants】44 participants (Including the  Executive Director of ICAN)

【Main Discussion Points】

• Attempts to reconsider the issue of nuclear weapons from the multifaceted perspective of sustainability are both timely and important today, when geopolitical divisions are occurring.
• Nuclear weapons are relevant to all the current SDGs. For example, as frequently discussed at the Meeting of States Parties to the TPNW, nuclear weapons affect all life on the Earth, including the life below water.
• Many resources are invested in the nuclear weapon industry. If these resources are reallocated to education, health, hunger, climate change, and other fields whose improvement will enhance the planet’s sustainability, the world will become more based on fairness and justice.
• For the formulation of the current SDGs, non-state actors and diverse stakeholders played an active role. For the establishment of the next U.N. Development Goals with 2045 set as the target year, expectations are placed on Hiroshima Prefecture and HOPe.

• Even though nuclear weapons are an issue that concerns all aspects of human security, only the U.N. Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) and the U.N. Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) handle the issue of nuclear weapons within the U.N. The issue of nuclear weapons needs to be handled by other U.N. organizations as well. To this end, the voice of civil society is necessary. [Comment from ICAN Executive Director during the Q&A session]

Participating in the side event organized by Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Kiribati

A side event was held by the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Kiribati, which had suffered from many nuclear tests after World War II, under the themes of the TPNW’s article 6 “victim assistance and environmental remediation” and article 7 “international cooperation and assistance.”
　At the event, government officials, researchers, and practitioners took to the podium. They engaged in discussions on the incorporation of the views of the victims, who had suffered for many years, in an effort to present specific forms of victim assistance and international cooperation, as well as on the necessity to aim not only to provide medical support but also to restore the dignity of the victims.

【Date】 November 27, 2023
【Place】Trusteeship Council（ UN Headquarters in New York ）
【Theme】 Positive Obligations of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
【Moderator / Panelists】
Moderator ：  Mr. Christian N. Ciobanu （  TPNW Advisor for the Mission of Kiribati, Policy and Advocacy Coordinator of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation ）　
Panelists：
・ Mr. Hidehiko YUZAKI, Governor of the Hiroshima Prefecture
・ Ms. Veronique Christory, Senior Arms Adviser of the ICRC Delegation, UN
・ Ms. Bonnie Docherty,  Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School’s International Human Rights Clinic (IHRC) and Director of its Armed Conflict and Civilian Protection Initiative

・ Dr. Ivana Nikolic Hughes, President of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and a representative of the Scientific Advisory Group
・ Mr. Benetick Kabua Maddison, Executive Director of the Marshallese Educational Initiative

【 Main Statements from Hiroshima Prefecture 】

• Hiroshima Prefecture is a local government that provides support for atomic bomb survivors based on national law. At the same time, the Hiroshima Prefecture has been working together with such survivors and requesting the national government to improve the relevant system. As a result of these efforts, a legal framework has gradually been developed. In 1995, which marked the 50th anniversary of the atomic bombing, the Atomic Bomb Survivors’ Support Law took effect to improve national aid for atomic bomb survivors.
• Hiroshima Prefecture will continue to take steps toward the abolition of nuclear weapons while standing by the atomic bomb victims in Japan and their bereaved families, as well as victims around the world, so as not to give rise to new hibakusha.

Participating in the side event organized by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) as a panelists

　The event featured a discussion with experts and practitioners regarding the current status, problems, future prospects, etc. of disarmament education.

【Date】 November 27, 2023
【Place】Conference Room A（ UN Headquarters in New York ）
【Theme】 How Nuclear Disarmament is Taught
【Moderator / Panelists】
Moderator ： Dr. Wilfred Wan, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)　
Panelists：
・ Dr. Rebecca Davis Gibbons, University of Southern Maine
・ Ms. Gaukhar Mukhatzhanova, Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation
・ Mr. Hidehiko YUZAKI, Governor of the Hiroshima Prefecture

【 Main Statements from Hiroshima Prefecture 】

• Hiroshima Prefecture provides nuclear disarmament education programs for young people, such as the Hiroshima-ICAN Academy. Young people are motivated, creative and active, so encouraging them to recognize the importance of nuclear disarmament and take action will lead to long-term change.
• Today, when the international security environment is becoming increasingly severe and the trend toward an increase in nuclear armament is intensifying, it is problematic that there is a division even in the field of disarmament education between those who support nuclear deterrence and those who support nuclear disarmament. It is important to ensure that educational and research programs incorporate opportunities to learn about the reality of atomic bombings as the result of a nuclear policy and to ensure that research and education includes a perspective of deterrence that will lead to nuclear disarmament.

Outreach Activities toward Relevant Parties from the U.N. and Various Countries

　 Governor Yuzaki had individual meetings with key players engaged in the operation of the Second Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, as well as with relevant parties from the U.N. and government officials from various countries. While explaining to them our new approach of presenting the issue of nuclear weapons from the perspective of sustainability, we asked for their cooperation in the involvement in the formulation of the next U.N. Development Goal agenda. In addition, we explained to them the activities of the Global Alliance “Sustainable Peace and Prosperity for All” (GASPPA) and called for their understanding and cooperation in the prefecture’s efforts. At the same time, we exchanged views on the international situation surrounding nuclear weapons and conducted direct outreach to steadily advance nuclear disarmament efforts. 。

Banner Display at the Venue of the Second Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

3 Achievements

<Contribution to the Second Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons>

• By speaking as a panelist at the thematic discussion of the main session and hosting a side event, we emphasized the significance of alternative security systems beyond nuclear deterrence and the elimination of nuclear weapons and nuclear disarmament from the perspective of sustainability. We also indicated that these approaches contributed to the universalization of the treaty.
• We also spoke as a panelist at side events held by other organizations and shared the experience of Hiroshima Prefecture’s support for atomic bomb survivors. In addition, we emphasized the necessity of compromise between those who support nuclear deterrence and those who support nuclear disarmament.
   

[Increase of Supporters]

　We gained support and advice from meeting panelists and participants, as well as from U.N. representatives and others with whom we had meetings, regarding our new approach of raising the issue of nuclear weapons from the perspective of sustainability. This will add momentum to our efforts to include the elimination of nuclear weapons in post-SDGs in the future.
 

[Policy Creation]

　Through the thematic discussion at the main session, we raised the participants’ interest in the formulation of security policies without reliance on nuclear deterrence and emphasized such policies’ necessity to government officials and others concerned.

4 Reference