Mayors for Peace

Mayors for Peace - Jena once again flies the flag for peace and against nuclear weapons

On Friday, July 8, the flag of the global Mayors for Peace alliance will once again fly in front of the town hall at Am Anger 15. This year, more than 500 cities in Germany are showing their solidarity with Ukraine and campaigning for a peaceful world without nuclear weapons.

The Russian attack on Ukraine in February of this year destroyed the European security order. Russia's threatening nuclear gestures are a breach of taboo. The nuclear threat is more present than it has been for a long time.

Against this backdrop, the first Conference of the States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons took place in Vienna from June 21 to 23. The treaty entered into force on January 22, 2021. Germany took part in the UN conference as an observer. Mayors for Peace was also represented by numerous delegates. Hibakusha - survivors of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki - reported on the unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe caused by the use of these weapons of mass destruction.

Mayor Thomas Nitzsche commented: "More than 12,700 nuclear weapons threaten humanity. Their use would mean a humanitarian catastrophe and extinguish all human life. That is why the Mayors for Peace support the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and advocate the accession of further states to the treaty. There must be no standstill in nuclear disarmament!This year, the raising of the flag is also an expression of our solidarity with Ukraine. "

On Flag Day, the Mayors for Peace recall a legal opinion issued by the International Court of Justice in The Hague on July 8, 1996, which found that the threat of use and the use of nuclear weapons generally violate international law. The Court also stated that there is an obligation under international law "to conduct and conclude negotiations in good faith leading to nuclear disarmament in all its aspects under strict and effective international control."

Who are the Mayors for Peace:

The Mayors for Peace organization was founded in 1982 by the mayor of Hiroshima . The global network is primarily committed to the abolition of nuclear weapons, but also addresses current issues in order to discuss ways of peaceful coexistence. More than 8,170 cities belong to the network, including more than 830 cities in Germany. Around 500 cities in Germany are taking part in Flag Day this year.