Final Statement of the 7th Global Inter-religious Conference on Article 9 of the Japanese Peace Constitution and Peace in Asia

March 6, 2021, Okinawa – Tokyo, Japan

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 7th Global Inter-religious Conference on Article 9 was organized as an online conference with two key stations in Okinawa and Tokyo, Japan. On March 2-3, 2021, one hundred and twenty international participants gathered to exchange opinions on various issues related to peace and security in the world and issued a statement with the hope that the whole world will realize peace with justice based on dialogue and mutual trust, and not with the use of force.

The Global Inter-religious Conference on Article 9 was launched as an interfaith initiative to pray for peace with justice, and to deepen our faith commitment for building a world without war in the spirit of the objectives of the Article 9 of Japan’s Constitution, which is a “symbol for world peace.” The Global Interfaith Conferences on Article 9 were held in previous years in 2007 (Tokyo), 2009 (Seoul), 2011 (Okinawa), 2014 (Tokyo), 2016 (Osaka), and 2018 (Hiroshima).