The mayor of the Japanese city of Nagasaki is set to call for peaceful solutions to conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East during a ceremony to mark the 79th anniversary of the US atomic bombing of the city.
Mayor Suzuki Shiro spoke to reporters on Friday and revealed the main points of the peace declaration that he will read at the ceremony next Friday.
The city suffered the bombing on August 9, 1945, during World War Two. A peace declaration for the annual event is drafted based on discussions by a committee consisting of atomic bomb survivors and experts.
The declaration for this year cites a poem by Fukuda Sumako, who wrote many works of poetry while suffering from radiation-induced illnesses, to convey the tragedy of the atomic bombing and the feelings of survivors.
The declaration also refers to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and tensions in the Middle East. It expresses concern about the humanitarian norm of “not using nuclear weapons” being seriously shaken.
The document calls on the leaders of nuclear powers and countries under nuclear umbrellas to initiate efforts toward the abolition of nuclear weapons and explore peaceful solutions through diplomacy.
The mayor will urge the Japanese government to sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
He will also call on the government to recognize those who were outside the government-designated area of radiation exposure as atomic bomb survivors.
Suzuki said he wants to strongly convey to society that everyone should consider this issue as their own matter and take action.