November 21, 2020

A Hiroshima and Nagasaki peace mission on November 20 handed to Japanese Communist Party Dietmembers a written request made jointly by Hiroshima City Mayor Matsui Kazumi and Nagasaki City Mayor Taue Tomihisa calling for Diet discussions to promote Japan's ratification of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

An official of the Hiroshima City peace department and an official of the Nagasaki City A-bomb survivors' relief department visited Tokyo to lobby each political party. They met with JCP Kasai Akira and Tamura Takaaki in the House of Representatives members' office building.

The mayors' written request starts with welcoming the entry into force of the treaty slated for January 22, 2021.

The written request points out that the treaty's final goal is the "elimination of nuclear weapons" and it is important for many countries, including all nuclear-weapons states and their allies, to participate in the accord in order to make it more effective. To achieve this, the written request stresses that discussions toward effective progress of the pact should be held in the Diet.

Their request again demands that the Diet actively discuss and urge the government of Japan as the only A-bombed nation in the world to sign and ratify the treaty without delay.

In the meeting with the two officials, Kasai and Tamura said, "Japan should not lag far behind other countries and should take a lead in global discussions to abolish nuclear weapons. The JCP will promote Diet debate on this matter irrespective of differences in political affiliation."

Past related articles:
> World's scientists call on nuclear-weapons states to join N-ban treaty [November 11, 2020]
> Two A-bombed city assemblies adopt statement calling on Japan to be party to UN N-ban treaty [October 28 and November 3]