Vedo - Day 2

Update: After the successful rally we entered the building and listened to further nation's statements. In my opinion, today's most interesting one was the one of Iran. Iran's ambassador criticized mostly the existing contradiction between words and action. Nuclear-Weapon-States are keeping their weapons  (19.500 still exist) and further more modernize them. He also stressed the point of nuclear sharing among nuclear-weapon states or with non-nuclear weapon states under military alliances (as an example he mentioned the agreement signed by France and the UK). Considering Iran's nuclear program he passed criticism on the fact that non-nuclear weapon states in developing areas, have been under heavier, and thereby discriminatory, control by developed member states.
He pointed out, that the Islamic Republic of Iran has never been and never will be after nuclear weapons. Hence the international fold can count on Iranian help, first of all, to establish a nuclear weapon free zone in the Middle East and in long term to ban all nuclear weapons. For this purpose he insisted on the making of a time table. A wish which was repeated by NGOs representatives as well.

In the afternoon we met the ambassadors of Norway and talked with them about their engagement in the NPT. Gladly they really took time for our questions. Because of this a fruitful discussion arose and everyone's questions go answered. The representatives encouraged us to keep up our work and to raise public's awareness for nuclear weapons.

My day ended with the NGO Statements on the NPT. The first spokesperson was the mayor of Nagasaki who stressed out 3 points of consideration

• The inhumanity of atomic weapons
• The responsibility for future generations
• The need of cooperation among the UN, nuclear & non-nuclear powers, NGOs and the civil society

Tomihisa Taue (left), Mayor of Nagasaki

He made the audience sit up and take notice when he presented his idea of holding the 2015 Review Conference in Hiroshima and called for the support of the persons in charge. In his (and also my) opinion this step would be symbolically important. Let's hope they will follow his appeal.

His speak was followed by a hibakusha (surviving victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki) who told the audience his incredible story. I was deeply touched by his words and look excitedly forward to hear more on friday when hibakushas will be visiting our bureau! Hardly surprising that he called upon the ambassadors to implement the action plan and also to promote sustainable energy instead of nuclear one.

Ayesha Irshad & Mirko Montuori

A special moment for me and our delegation was the youth delegation's statement, which appealed to the chairman to start negotiating a nuclear weapons convention that would ban them for now and forever so that this as well as future generations do not have to fear a nuclear disaster.

In general, one thing was clear for all NGO-representatives: There's still a stark contradiction between the peoples' opinion on nuclear weapons and the politic's outcome on the topic. 

We demand abolition!

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My today's morning started with a little less conversation and a little more action on the street. The youth delegation met at 8 a.m. in front of the UN-Building to rally against nuclear weapons.
I managed to take a few pictures and to make a video. Enjoy!