This year, more than 600 cities in Germany will once again be raising the Mayors-for-Peace flag in front of their town halls on July 8, making a clear commitment to nuclear disarmament, against wars and for peaceful coexistence among people worldwide - Salzgitter is no exception.

Experts from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) estimate that there are currently around 12,241 nuclear warheads worldwide. Almost all nine nuclear powers are modernizing their arsenals. In addition, the New START Treaty, which was extended for five years in 2021 and regulates the limitation of strategic nuclear weapons between the USA and Russia, expires at the beginning of next year. Efforts to extend or replace it are apparently not in sight. A new nuclear arms race is looming.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the US dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The use of these weapons of mass destruction brought immeasurable suffering to humanity. As "Mayors for Peace", we are therefore campaigning with more than 8400 cities worldwide for the abolition of nuclear weapons. We urgently call for nuclear disarmament instead of rearmament. Nuclear weapons do not create more security, but are a risk for the whole of humanity.

What is Flag Day:
On Flag Day, Mayors for Peace commemorate a legal opinion issued by the International Court of Justice in The Hague on July 8, 1996, which found that the threat of use and the use of nuclear weapons generally violate international law. The Court also stated that there is an obligation under international law "to conduct and conclude negotiations in good faith leading to nuclear disarmament in all its aspects under strict and effective international control."

Who are the Mayors for Peace:
The Mayors for Peace organization was founded in 1982 by the mayor of Hiroshima. The global network is primarily committed to the abolition of nuclear weapons, but also addresses current issues in order to discuss ways of peaceful coexistence. More than 8,480 cities in 166 countries belong to the network, including around 900 cities in Germany. More than 600 cities in Germany are taking part in Flag Day this year.