Letter of Request to Japanese Foreign Minister Regarding the TPNW

November 20, 2020

His Excellency Toshimitsu Motegi
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Japan

Request to the Central Government
Regarding the Treaty of the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

Excellency:

On behalf of the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude for your efforts towards the realization of a world without nuclear weapons.

Originating from the hibakusha’s strong conviction that “No one else should suffer as we have,” the movement for nuclear abolition has swept across the globe, culminating in the adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) by 122 nations at the United Nations in July 2017. Approximately three years later, on October 24, 2020, the 50th nation ratified the treaty, ensuring its entry into force on January 22, 2021. This chain of events resulted from the growing concern about the possible use of these weapons for a third time; a fear shared by many nations against a backdrop of stagnating nuclear disarmament and the increasing threat of nuclear weapons. The TPNW is a clear expression of the will of humanity, including the hibakusha and the citizens of the cities devastated by the atomic bombings, that nuclear weapons must be eliminated.

The ultimate goal of the TPNW is the abolition of nuclear weapons, which coincides with that of the Japanese government. To increase the effectiveness of the treaty, it is essential that nuclear-weapon states, their allies, and many other nations join the treaty to engage in discussions towards its effective implementation and development. Japan must participate in the discussions regarding nuclear abolition and become a driving force in the realization of a world without these weapons, displaying leadership in serving as a bridge between nuclear and non-nuclear weapons states.

We urgently appeal to the government to heed the hibakusha’s ardent wish and to sign and ratify the TPNW as soon as possible as the only nation to have suffered the devastation of atomic bombings in warfare. In the meantime, we ask that the Japanese government attend the meetings of signatory countries as an observer in order to engage in the discussions towards the abolition of nuclear weapons.

Sincerely yours,

MATSUI Kazumi
Mayor
The City of Hiroshima                           

TAUE Tomihisa
Mayor
The City of Nagasaki