 A-bombed city mayors call for nuclear-free world in New York The mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki called for the abolition of nuclear weapons on May 1 at "No Nukes! No Wars!" rally in Central Park in New York. Hiroshima Mayor Akiba Tadatoshi who took the platform with other members of the Mayors for Peace said, "It is significant that overwhelming majority of the world people think that nuclear weapons must be eliminated," adding, "We can and must win the fight against nuclear weapons." On May 3, Hiroshima Mayor Akiba and Nagasaki Mayor Ito Iccho, both representing the Mayor for Peace, announced the launch of the 2020 Vision Campaign aimed at realizing the abolition of nuclear weapons by 2020. Mayor for Peace President Akiba said, "What we are trying to do is to eliminate nuclear weapons in the framework of the U.N. by 2020." He went on to say, "Our midterm goal is to establish a comprehensive treaty for the abolition of nuclear weapons by 2010. In order to achieve this goal, the NPT Review Conference should begin negotiation for nuclear weapons abolition." - Akahata, May 3 and 5, 2005 |