The Right to Life, Liberty and Security of Person - Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

August 6, 2005

In remembrance of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima it is fitting that we all renew our commitment that article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights will be realized in full for all peoples of earth.

The speech by Hiroshima Mayor Tadotoshi Akiba expresses our conviction that we can change the course of history and make human rights a fact:

"On this, the sixtieth anniversary of the atomic bombing, we seek to comfort the souls of all its victims by declaring that we humbly reaffirm our responsibility never to repeat the evil. Please rest peacefully; for we will not repeat the evil."

Hiroshima Peace Declaration 2005
This August 6, the 60th anniversary of the atomic bombing, is a moment of shared lamentation in which more than 300 thousand souls of A-bomb victims and those who remain behind transcend the boundary between life and death to remember that day. It is also a time of inheritance, of awakening, and of commitment, in which we inherit the commitment of the hibakusha to the abolition of nuclear weapons and realization of genuine world peace, awaken to our individual responsibilities, and recommit ourselves to take action. This new commitment, building on the desires of all war victims and the millions around the world who are sharing this moment, is creating a harmony that is enveloping our planet.

The keynote of this harmony is the hibakusha warning, "No one else should ever suffer as we did," along with the cornerstone of all religions and bodies of law, "Thou shalt not kill." Our sacred obligation to future generations is to establish this axiom, especially its corollary, "Thou shalt not kill children," as the highest priority for the human race across all nations and religions. The International Court of Justice advisory opinion issued nine years ago was a vital step toward fulfilling this obligation, and the Japanese Constitution, which embodies this axiom forever as the sovereign will of a nation, should be a guiding light for the world in the 21st century.

The full text of this speech can be read online at the Hiroshima Peace Site.