Hibakusha Appeal network collects final tally of 13.7 million signatures calling on countries to join nuclear ban treaty
Jan. 14, 2021
by Tsuyoshi Kubota, Staff Writer
The Hibakusha Appeal network’s liaison council announced on January 13 that the network had gathered a final tally of 13,702,345 signatures calling on countries around the world to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). The signatures were collected by A-bomb survivors’ groups and supporting organizations around the world over a period of about four years and eight months. The network sent a list of the signatures to the headquarters of the United Nations in New York City by email on January 8. The Hibakusha Appeal network consists of 48 organizations, including the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo).
An online press conference was held with Terumi Tanaka, 88, and Michiko Kodama, 82, co-chair and assistant secretary general of Nihon Hidankyo, respectively, as well as with Mitsuhiro Hayashida, 28, the signature campaign leader. The participants announced the number of signatures, which were collected both on the streets and online.
The three said they were pleased when the TPNW—which comprehensively bans nuclear weapons, from their development to use—was adopted by the United Nations in July 2017, a time when the signature drive was being carried out. They also expressed their joy about the treaty taking effect on January 22.
Ms. Kodama, who experienced the atomic bombing in Hiroshima when she was seven years old, remembers how her cousins died in her arms. “Reporting this story to the victims and the predecessors of our activities, I was grateful. I want to bring people together on this issue, which I hope will lead to the elimination of nuclear weapons.” Referring to the stance of Japan’s national government, which has announced its intention not to join the TPNW, Mr. Tanaka said, “We need to have more people from nuclear weapon states demanding the elimination of nuclear weapons. I hope to raise public awareness on this issue.”
The signature drive, which began in April 2016, collected more than 12,610,000 signatures as of September 2020. The original plan had called for an end to the campaign at that time, but the decision was made to extend the drive until the end of last year, given that the TPNW’s effectuation was drawing near. The signatures include those of 1,497 current and former heads of local governments around Japan.
Caption: During an online news conference, Michiko Kodama (top left) and Terumi Tanaka (bottom left), assistant secretary general and co-chair of Nihon Hidankyo, respectively, as well as Mitsuhiro Hayashida (bottom right), signature campaign leader, report on the total number of signatures collected in the campaign.
(Originally published on January 14, 2021)
The Hibakusha Appeal network’s liaison council announced on January 13 that the network had gathered a final tally of 13,702,345 signatures calling on countries around the world to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). The signatures were collected by A-bomb survivors’ groups and supporting organizations around the world over a period of about four years and eight months. The network sent a list of the signatures to the headquarters of the United Nations in New York City by email on January 8. The Hibakusha Appeal network consists of 48 organizations, including the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo).
An online press conference was held with Terumi Tanaka, 88, and Michiko Kodama, 82, co-chair and assistant secretary general of Nihon Hidankyo, respectively, as well as with Mitsuhiro Hayashida, 28, the signature campaign leader. The participants announced the number of signatures, which were collected both on the streets and online.
The three said they were pleased when the TPNW—which comprehensively bans nuclear weapons, from their development to use—was adopted by the United Nations in July 2017, a time when the signature drive was being carried out. They also expressed their joy about the treaty taking effect on January 22.
Ms. Kodama, who experienced the atomic bombing in Hiroshima when she was seven years old, remembers how her cousins died in her arms. “Reporting this story to the victims and the predecessors of our activities, I was grateful. I want to bring people together on this issue, which I hope will lead to the elimination of nuclear weapons.” Referring to the stance of Japan’s national government, which has announced its intention not to join the TPNW, Mr. Tanaka said, “We need to have more people from nuclear weapon states demanding the elimination of nuclear weapons. I hope to raise public awareness on this issue.”
The signature drive, which began in April 2016, collected more than 12,610,000 signatures as of September 2020. The original plan had called for an end to the campaign at that time, but the decision was made to extend the drive until the end of last year, given that the TPNW’s effectuation was drawing near. The signatures include those of 1,497 current and former heads of local governments around Japan.
Caption: During an online news conference, Michiko Kodama (top left) and Terumi Tanaka (bottom left), assistant secretary general and co-chair of Nihon Hidankyo, respectively, as well as Mitsuhiro Hayashida (bottom right), signature campaign leader, report on the total number of signatures collected in the campaign.
(Originally published on January 14, 2021)
