They recall a legal opinion issued by the International Court of Justice in The Hague on July 8, 1996, but also the terrible atomic bombs dropped by the USA on Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the end of the Second World War on August 6 and 9, 1945. The Court found that the threat of use and the use of nuclear weapons generally violate international law.

Furthermore, according to the Court, 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."

According to the latest annual report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the global stockpile of nuclear warheads has been reduced to an estimated 12,121. The number of warheads kept on high alert has risen to around 2,100. Nine countries have nuclear weapons, with the USA and Russia possessing most of the acutely operational weapons. China is rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal. SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) sees efforts to modernize stocks in all nuclear-armed states.

Mayors for Peace point out that "nuclear weapons have the potential to destroy all life on this planet." And further: "We as Mayors for Peace are therefore sending a clear signal together in Germany on Flag Day against nuclear armament."

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.