Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Co-Mayor Serra Bucak attended the “80th Anniversary Commemoration of the Hiroshima Tragedy” in Japan. She will later participate in the “General Conference of Mayors for Peace” in Nagasaki, where she will deliver a speech.

Co-Mayor Serra Bucak and Council Member Umut Aytaş travelled to Japan to attend anti-nuclear events marking the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the Second World War, as well as to hold various meetings. As part of this visit, Co-Mayor Bucak will take part in the Mayors for Peace General Conference to be held in Nagasaki between 7–10 August.

The international association of local governments, established in 1982 through the initiative of then-Mayor of Hiroshima Takeshi Araki — of which Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality is also a member — works towards a world free of nuclear weapons and sustained by lasting peace. The conference will bring together mayors from around the world under this vision.

The conference, to be held under the theme “Towards a Nuclear-Free World: The Peaceful Future We Imagine as Global Citizens,” will last four days. Issues such as nuclear disarmament, building safe and resilient cities, and promoting a culture of peace will be addressed.

The conference will open on 7 August with a flower offering ceremony at the Atomic Bomb Museum and Peace Memorial Hall in Nagasaki. On 8 August, the opening ceremony will take place at Dejima Messe Nagasaki, featuring a panel with the participation of United Nations University Rector Tshilidzi Marwala, Mayor of Hiroshima Kazumi Matsui, and Mayor of Nagasaki Shiro Suzuki. This will be followed by a testimony from hibakusha (a survivor of the nuclear attack) delivered by Teruko Yokoyama, General Director of the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers’ Organisations (Nihon Hidankyo). On the same day, a panel entitled “Realising a Nuclear-Free World” will be held. The final part of the panel will focus on topics such as environmental issues, public health and pandemics, human rights, and refugees. The third day of the conference will begin with the Nagasaki Peace Ceremony, followed by the “13th General Conference of Mayors for Peace Japan.”

Co-Mayor Bucak to deliver a presentation

On behalf of Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality, Co-Mayor Serra Bucak will speak in the third session on 9 August. In the session titled “Cultural Activities: Arts, Music and Sports,” moderated by the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation, Co-Mayor Bucak will deliver a presentation on peace-themed cultural activities implemented in the city. The session will also include exchanges of experience and discussion of cooperation opportunities with local government representatives from different countries.

The conference will conclude on 10 August with the General Assembly. In this session, the action plan for the coming period will be determined, executive board members will be elected, and the “Nagasaki Declaration” will be adopted.