Meeting on March 13th 2010 in San Juan (Puerto Rico), the Executive Bureau of the Federation of Latin American Cities, Municipalities and Associations of Local Governments (FLACMA) adopted a motion in support of Mayors for Peace and the 2020 Vision Campaign.
The adoption of the motion signals substantial progress in Latin America. FLACMA was founded in 1981 and is the representation of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) in Latin America and the Caribbean. The UCLG is the voice of local governments at the United Nations and the international community.
During the presentation of Mayors for Peace in Puerto Rico it was very helpful to share the news that both the Mayors of Mexico City and Montevideo have accepted our invitation to join the campaign leadership of Mayors for Peace through Associate Membership. The presence of Mr. Luis Magos and Mr. Carlos Mackinlay from Mexico City at the Bureau Meeting of FLACMA was very helpful. The announcement of Nicaragua having registered 100% of the Nicaraguan Mayors also send a positive chill of encouragement through the audience.
At the end of the presentation a motion for approval was tabled to the Executive Bureau of FLACMA. In the conclusion of the motion (full text) the ”Federation of Latin American Cities, Municipalities and Associations' (FLACMA) decides to encourage its members to become a member of Mayors for Peace before and beyond the next NPT Review Conference Meeting at the UN in May 2010. It also recommends that national governments urgently consider the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Protocol as a direct means of fulfilling the promise of the NPT by the year 2020, thereby meeting the obligation found by the International Court of Justice in 1996 “to conclude negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament in all its aspects under strict and effective international control”
After the motion was presented Mr. Juan Matteo from the Federation of Municipalities from Argentina asked FLACMA for full support for the motion.
As a welcome surprise came the announcement of Ms. Luizianna Lins, the Mayor of Fortaleza, that she would complete the membership form of Mayors for Peace on the spot. Fortaleza is with 2,6 million inhabitants one of the largest cities in Brazil. As Member of the Bureau of FLACMA, Ms. Lins, also announced that she would ask the 'Frente Nacional de Prefeitos' (FNP - National Front of Mayors) from Brazil to get involved with Mayors for Peace. Ms. Lins is 1st Vice-President for International Relations of the FNP.
It was therefore an easy job for Mr. Julio Cesar Pereyra, President of FLACMA, to find immediate full support for the motion which was approved with all members raising their hands and giving a unanimous positive vote.
With 263 members in Latin-America (March 1st 2010) membership and activities of Mayors for Peace remained low compared to Europe and Asia. The support from FLACMA is significant to increase the presence of Mayors for Peace in Latin-America and the Caribbean. Latin-America and the Caribbean has been historically the champion for a world free of nuclear weapons. The Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaty of Tlatelolco (1967) was the first treaty declaring an entire continent free of the weapons.
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