Hiroshima; Ypres, October 1st 2008 -

With 12 new member cities and four new Executive Cities, the international organisation Mayors for Peace continues to gather strength in its global campaign for the abolition of nuclear weapons before 2020. Today the organisation announced global membership has reached 2,422 member cities in 131 countries. With over
400 cities already having joined Mayors for Peace in 2008, the organisation continues to gain support from local authorities around the world for the elimination of nuclear arms.

Mayors for Peace also announced that the cities of Biograd (Croatia), Granollers (Spain), Halabja (Iraq) and Waitakere (New Zealand) have accepted appointment as Executive Cities (back-ground on new Executive Cities).

This brings the cities leading the effort to a total of sixteen. The new members join a leadership including the cities Hiroshima (headquarters), Ypres (international campaign secretariat), Nagasaki, Akron (Ohio), Christchurch, Florence, Hannover, Laakdal, Malakoff, Manchester, Muntinlupa and  Volgograd.

The new Executive cities, which have all except for one directly experienced war, have recently demonstrated impressive leadership on the "Hiroshima-Nagasaki Protocol", a Protocol complementary to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of nuclear weapons for achieving a global nuclear ban by the year 2020.

Dr. Tadatoshi Akiba, the Mayor of Hiroshima and President of Mayors for Peace, declared in his invitation to new Executive cities: "As the organisation of Mayors for Peace is growing steadily I believe that the time has come to strengthen our leadership, and your presence and input will without doubt be very useful as our campaign for the complete elimination of nuclear weapons gains momentum".

Among the 12 new member cities Mayors for Peace welcomes Andorra la Vella, the capital of the Principality of Andorra. With 89 capital cities already members of Mayors for Peace, today almost half of the world's capital cities are supporting nuclear abolition. Among these we count most of the EU capitals including Amsterdam, Athens, Berlin, Brussels, Copenhagen, Dublin, Luxembourg, Madrid and Stockholm, but also the capitals of six of the nine nuclear-armed states: Beijing, London, Jerusalem, Moscow, New Delhi and Paris. Islamabad, Pyongyang and Washington DC have not yet joined the growing movement.

Half of the latest 12 members are from Spain thanks to ongoing efforts by Mr. Josep Mayoral i Antigas, the Mayor of Granollers, and Greenpeace Spain. Mayors for Peace encourages co-operation with civil society to inform the public and overcome the democratic deficit blocking the path towards complete nuclear disarmament.

Mr. Mayoral i Antigas declared: "It is urgent for cities and citizens to work together and increase commitment to build peace, joining their voices to rid the world of weapons of mass destruction. It is unacceptable for cities and citizens to be kept hostage of nuclear policies.

Back in 1968 the nuclear weapons states have pledged to nuclear disarmament when they signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty. It is time for them to keep their promise and prevent a new use of these barbaric and illegal weapons. Now it is necessary to keep their promise and eradicate this weapons. Our city which experienced the horrors of war is honored with the invitation by the Mayor of Hiroshima to join forces and actively work together for peace and disarmament".

More information:

* Mayors for Peace
www.mayorsforpeace.org

* 2020 Vision Campaign & Hiroshima-Nagasaki Protocol
www.2020visioncampaign.org

* list of 12 new members
http://www.mayorsforpeace.org/english/topic/list/55.htm

* back-ground new Executive Cities Biograd, Granollers, Halabja and Waitakere
http://www.2020visioncampaign.org/filestorage/465/File/1/NewExecutivemembersMayorsforPeaceOctober1st2008.pdf