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Report of the visit of Mr. Akiba Tadatoshi, Mayor of Hiroshima, to Brussels, 18-20/1/2005
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Tuesday January 18th 2005
It all started with an early arrival at the Brussels airport at 7:15 am. and a swift transport to the Bedford Hotel, a four star hotel in the city center offered to the distinguished guests from Hiroshima by Brussels City Hall.
The Mayor seemed tired, as he had hardly slept during his journey from Washington DC. Fortunately he seemed empowered by the event and meetings at the US Conference of Mayors and the program scheduled for Brussels.
Following a briefing at 11 am. we started the first day with a noon lunch meeting at Belgian Foreign Affairs. It was Mr. Werner Bauwens and Mr. Mark Van de Vreken, both Senior advisors on the NPT, who welcomed the Japanese delegation. The delegation was further comprised with Mr. Patrik Vankrunkelsven, Belgian Senator and Mayor, and his assistant Kris Gysels. Also Mr. Yasuyuki Yakushiji and Mr. Kenji Fujioka, the personal assistants of Mr. Akiba and Mr. Asao; Mr. Guy Magnus, Mr. Hans Lammerant and myself for Abolition 2000 Belgium, and Ms. Chieko Matsui, the Japanese translator, Ms. Hachimiya, the camera woman sat around the large table with view on Brussels city.
Following an introduction by Mr. Akiba on the Emergency Campaign, Mr. Werner Bauwens replied that the Belgian Foreign Affairs and their delegation in New York will be open to meet with the Mayors for Peace and integrate some of the language in the official Belgian position. Mr. Bauwens stressed that we need more cooperation to move towards the goal of complete abolition. He also stressed that Belgium has been successful with its silent and discreet diplomacy over the past years.
After lunch we arrived at a well attended news conference at the ancient and splendid Maximilian room at Brussels City Hall. Both Belgian and international press were present.
The news conference was followed by a seminar in the Gothic room at the City Hall. Mr. Freddy Thielemans, the Mayor of Brussels, welcomed the Mayor and the Emergency Campaign and gave the opening speech. Following the key-note speech by Mr. Akiba and Mr. Asao, Mr. Willy Demeyer, the Mayor of Liège, gave his support and endorsed the campaign. The first resolution to be adopted in a Belgian City Council in support of the Emeergency Campaign was in Liège last October 2004. The Mayor of Ypres was represented and highlighted the fact that the world has to move towards a nuclear weapons convention, as it has done with the ban on chemical weapons. Ypres was the first town to be victim of the use of chemical weapons on April 22nd 1915. Following recommendations for local authorities by Abolition 2000 Belgium the symposium was closed by Mr. Karel De Gucht, the Belgian Foreign Affairs Minister. He welcomed to campaign initiated by the Mayors for Peace and stressed once again the very positive role undertaken by the Belgian diplomats in New York and Geneva. The symposium was co-organized by the Brussels and Ypres City Hall, the Flemish Organisation of Cities and Local Authorities and Abolition 2000 Belgium. A reception gave the opportunity for an estimated 20 Belgian Mayors to mix with members of Abolition 2000 Belgium.
After the reception Mayor Akiba finally could get a couple of hours rest, before dinner in the hotel with Mr. Frank Beke, the Mayor of Ghent. Mr. Frank Beke considers to join the Mayors delegation in New York and wanted to discuss this with Mr. Akiba.
Wednesday January 19th 2005
The day started early with another briefing at the hotel before heading off to the European Parliament where Mr. Akiba was expected to address the EP Foreign Affairs Committee, chaired by Mr. Elmar Brok. (Aaron, here we need a link to the speech). The speech of Mayor Akiba is a very important event in the preparations for the position of the EP and EU towards the NPT Review Conference in New York. The speech was followed by very positive interventions by several Members of the European Parliament Foreign A]fairs Committee, amongst whom Ms. Ana Gomes, vice-president of the EP subcommittee on Security and Defense (PSE - Portugal); Mr. Tobias Pflueger (GUE - Germany); Mr. Meyer (PSE - Spain); Ms. Anne-Marie Neyts (ALDE - Belgium); Mr. Duka Zolyomi (PPE) and Mr. Helmut Kuhne (PSE - Germany). Also some press was following thewevent, and pictures of Mr. Akiba addressing the EP were spread through the wires of Associated Press.
Before lunch there was a short meeting with Mr. Akiba and Mr. Asao and probaly about 30 representatives of NGO`s from Belgium, Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands and Norway had gathered to meet with the delegation from Hiroshima. The difficulties for Mr. Akiba to plan a new visit to Europe was the main item which was discussed. This while campaigners from Britain, France, The Netherlands and Norway have already concrete ideas and plans for such a visit which seems to be important and instrumental to extend the campaign in their countries.
The Japanese delegation was invited for lunch by Mr. Tobias Pflueger (GUE - Germany) and Ms. Caroline Lucas (Greens - EFA - UK) in the restaurant for the Members. Special guest was also Mr. Jean-Luc Dehaene, actually MEP with the Christian Democrats and Mayor of Vilvoorde. He was also Prime Minister of Belgium from 1991 to 1999. Mr. Jean-Luc Dehaene who joined the anti-nuclear marches in the early 1980`s showed great interest in the Emergency Campaign and officially signed-up to the Mayors for Peace network during lunch.
It was here that I launched the proposal to have 100 Belgian Mayors signed-up before the NPT Review Conference of May 2005. Mr. Dehaene agreed to co-sign such an appeal with other Belgian Mayors. This is a very concrete answer to Mayor`s Akiba his call to have 1000 Mayors signed-up (now being approx. 700). Mr. Jean- Luc Dehaene further showed interest to join the Mayors delegation in New York. It was suggested that as an MEP he could advocate the resolution of the EP to lobby the EU delegation.
After lunch the Mayor and Chairman of Hiroshima were expected for a hearing in the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committees of both the House of Representatives and Senate in the Belgian Parliament. The hearing followed by several questions by Belgian Members of Parliament will without doubt have a positive impact on a resolution which is being prepared before the NPT Review Conference. Several Belgian MP´s are already considering traveling to New York.
The hearing in the Belgian Parliament was cut short as Ms. Anne-Marie Lizin, the President of the Belgian Senate and Mayor of Huy, absolutely wanted to have a personal meeting with Mayor Akiba and Mr. Asao. During a short meeting where she overwhelmed the delegation with her enthusiastic support, Ms. Lizin also agreed to look into possibilities to join in New York and mobilize other mayors to join the Mayors for Peace. As the unexpected meeting threw us off schedule Ms. Lizin had arranged three military police on motorcycles to stop traffic and escort the delegation through Brussels rush-hour back to the European Parliament.
Here the new EP Intergroup for Peace had organized an official reception. The reception was attended by many representatives of NGO`s and several MEP`s, with Ms. Jill Evans and Ms. Caroline Lucas, both Greens - EFA - UK; Mr. Jan Wiersma (PSE - Netherlands) Ms. Ana Gommes (PSE); and Mr. Tobias Pflueger (GUE). And as the reception finished with the start of a panel discussion (followed by an Abolition 2000 Europe network meeting) in the EP, the Japanese delegation left for the City Hall of Antwerp. Here they had a very fruitful meeting and dinner with Mr. Patrick Janssens, the Mayor of Antwerp, also MP. Mr. Janssens also seriously considers joining the delegation in New York. Only problem which occurred once again was the proposed date of May 1st. For Mayors member of the Social Democratic Party this is obviously an impossible day to be absent at the May day events.
Thursday January 20th 2005
Dawn saw a complete one page article with pictures published in ´Metro´, one of the largest circulation newspapers in Belgium.
At 8 am. the Belgian leg of this journey ended with a 150 km morning ride west of Brussels to the town of Ypres where the delegation was welcomed by most of the towns alderman and city council members. Mr. Luc Dehaene, the Mayor of Ypres, could unfortunately not join this long awaited visit by Mr. Akiba and Mr. Asao as he was hospitalized following a serious accident with his bicycle. The delegation from Hiroshima visited the Ypres Peace museum, had lunch and closed with a well-attended news conference.
And as the Japanese delegation left Ypres for the Brussels airport for their flight to Berlin, efforts were already underway to get the signatures for a common letter to all Belgian Mayors while also preparing for a visit to Foreign Affairs in Brussels and to the NPT RevCon in New York: Mr. Jean-Luc Dehaene (Vilvoorde and MEP), Mr. Luc Dehaene (Ypres), Mr. Frank Beke (Ghent), Mr. Freddy Thielemans (Brussels), Mr. Patrik Janssens (Antwerp), Mr. Patrik Vankrunkelsven (Laakdal & Senator), Ms. Ingrid Pira (Green Party Mayor of Mortsel), Ms. Anne-Marie Lizin (Mayor of Huy and President of the Senate) and Mr. Willy Demeyer (Liège) all seemed candidate to support this effort following this fruitful journey of Mr. Akiba and Mr. Asao to Belgium.
I am now in Sao Paulo, and feel both inspired and empowered by the visit of Mr. Akiba to Brussels. There is for sure another advocate for the 2020 vision in the World Social Forum which will start the day after tomorrow in Porto Alegre, Brasil.
Pol D´Huyvetter - January 23rd - 24th 2005
Tour coordinator
For Mother Earth
Abolition 2000 Belgium
Abolition 2000 Europe
With special thanks to our For Mother Earth team members Anna Schade, Cindy Barg, Famke Vekeman, Joris Winderickx, Magali Fontanel, David Heller and Griet Maes; to Filip Deheegher from the town of Ypres; Bruno Delille and Henk Helleman from the City of Brussels; and to Abolition 2000 support which came through Carla Goffi, Peter Craeyevelt, Bart Horemans, Henri Firket, Pierre Pierart, Hans Lammerant and Guy Magnus. Special thanks as well to Ernst Guelcher, Martin Hancke and Marilyn Neven at the EP in Brussels. Very special thanks for Mr. Hiro Sakata in Hioshima, who assisted on an almost daily basis to the final tour preparations during the last month. And of course let´s not forget George Farebrother, Aaron Tovish and Steve Leeper. Sorry if I forgot anyone, this is the danger with such lists.
For more information: Abolition 2000 Europe