Observing the 1997 March 1 Bikini Day, we assembled in Shizuoka the home of the 'Fifth Lucky Dragon', the victim fishing boat, to have consultation on promoting inquiry of the damage caused by the A-bombings and nuclear tests, making known the damage to the public, for the relief and solidarity with the victims.

For 43 years since the Bikini tragedy on March 1 , 1954, voices for the halt to nuclear explosions and the abolition of nuclear weapons have developed world-wide, with steady development of anti-nuclear peace movement. With mounting protests, the nuclear weapons states had to stop nuclear test explosion. As seen in the spreading signature campaign for the "Appeal from Hiroshima and Nagasaki", as well as the resolution of the UN General Assembly urging for negotiations on a nuclear weapons abolition treaty to start in 1997, a total ban and the elimination of nuclear weapons is spreading as common desire of the people.

Despite this progress in the world opinion, the damage caused by the atomic bombing and nuclear tests for over 50 years remains still very serious. In the affected areas, full-fledged investigation of the damage have hardly been made, nor have any relief and compensation measures been sufficiently taken. Victims are still left unrelieved in most cases. This is because the nuclear weapons states, the very states having primary responsibility, are still clinging to nuclear weapons, calling them "nuclear deterrence", and because they are afraid that the damage, if known in its full dimension, will develop the opinion for the abolition of nuclear weapons.

The agonies which the Hibakusha and nuclear test victims have suffered over these fifty some years must not be repeated on the future generations. For this, we welcome the initiative of the 1996 World Conference against A and H Bombs to launch the "International Joint Acton for a nuclear-free 21 century, and propose to the people in Japan and the rest of the world the following actions, to help to promote the public opinion for a total ban and the elimination of nuclear weapons:

1. To demand the full-fledged investigation of the damage, the release of the results of such investigation, and the relief and compensation for the victims from the Governments of the countries that have actually caused such damages:
2. To visit the damaged areas; to investigate the damages through interviews and hearings, reinforcing information exchanges and solidarity with the victims:
3. To create many more opportunities to let the Hibakusha and nuclear test victims, including atomic veterans, to testify their sufferings through speaking tour, symposium and panel discussion, and raise public opinion for the abolition of nuclear weapons and for the relief and solidarity with the victims.

As a start of this movement, we call for support and cooperation to ensure the success in the 'International symposia on the damage from the A-bombing and nuclear tests, the relief and solidarity with the victims and for the abolition of nuclear weapons', which will take place from March 4 through March 10 at eight cities around Japan. We also propose to prepare an international joint investigation on the damages at the Marshall Islands, Polynesia, Nevada, Semipalatinsk, and other victims areas.

March 1 , 1997

*The text was agreed upon by the organizer and overseas delegates and presented by James Matayoshi, Mayor of the Rongelap Atoll Local Government and Koichi Akamatsu, Secretary General of Gensuikyo, in the March 1 Bikini Day Rally held in Yaizu.