“Wars have devastating consequences for people and our planet. This makes it all the more important to repeatedly make it clear that a world without the threat of nuclear weapons would be safer and more peaceful. Advocating for the abolition of nuclear weapons means taking responsibility: for life and for a future in which conflicts are not resolved through the threat of total annihilation,” explains Mayor Gert-Uwe Mende.

On Flag Day, Mayors for Peace commemorate an advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice in The Hague on July 8, 1996. The Court ruled that the threat or use of nuclear weapons generally violates international law. Furthermore, the Court determined that there is an obligation under international law “to conduct and conclude, in good faith, negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament in all its aspects under strict and effective international control.”

The organization Mayors for Peace was founded in 1982 by the mayor of Hiroshima. The global Mayors for Peace network is primarily committed to the abolition of nuclear weapons, but also addresses current issues to discuss ways to promote peaceful coexistence. More than 8,500 cities in 166 countries belong to the network, including more than 900 cities in Germany.