Peace Messenger City

"Peace Messenger (Use of Peace)" is awarded to local governments, organizations and institutions that have made significant contributions to past peace efforts and events for the Year of Peace to honor their achievements. Is a title.
At the 40th General Assembly of the United Nations (October 24, 1985), the anniversary of the United Nations' 40th anniversary, it was declared that "1986 will be the year of international peace", and various programs commemorating the International Year of Peace was awarded the title of "Peace Messenger (Use of Peace)" as one of the programs.
In 1987 (Showa 62), the first year of awarding the title, it was awarded to 300 organizations in 50 cities around the world. Since then, until 1991, awards have been given to cities and municipalities that have contributed to international peace every year on the International Day of Peace.
In 1988 (Showa 63), cities with this title gathered to hold the Peace Messenger City Conference. In 1991, the Peace Messenger City International Association was established, and since 1992, the General Assembly and board member have been held every year since 1992. In 2001, the 14th General Assembly was held in Yokohama City.

Yokohama City has been promoting cooperation with overseas sister cities for many years based on the idea that deepening international goodwill and mutual understanding between cities will lead to world peace. In 1986 (Showa 61), which was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations, the "Yokohama Memorial Project Executive Committee for the International Year of Peace" was organized to carry out various projects related to international peace.
These efforts were highly evaluated, and in 1987 (Showa 62), together with Hiroshima City and Nagasaki City, the title of Peace Messenger was awarded by the United Nations. Since then, as a Peace Messenger city, we have been working to hold international peace lectures, hold panel exhibitions on peace, and send protest letters to all countries that have conducted nuclear tests.
In Board of Education Secretariat, we conduct the Yokohama Children's International Peace Program. As part of these efforts, we conduct the “Yokohama Children's International Peace Speech Contest” and entrust elementary and junior high school students who won the Mayor's Award at the contest to the United Nations Headquarters and international organizations in New York.