Hiroshima urges leaders to abolish nuclear weapons on 81st A-bomb anniversary

Hiroshima marked the 81st anniversary of its atomic bombing on August 6 with a somber call for global nuclear disarmament. Mayor Kazumi Matsui implored world leaders to abolish nuclear weapons, warning that their use as "tools of intimidation" in ongoing conflicts risks catastrophic retaliation.

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Downplaying the inhumanity of nuclear weapons and accepting the use of force to pursue one’s own prosperity risk cycles of violent retaliation that could ultimately result in another Hiroshima or Nagasaki.

"Downplaying the inhumanity of nuclear weapons and accepting the use of force to pursue one’s own prosperity risk cycles of violent retaliation that could ultimately result in another Hiroshima or Nagasaki," Matsui stated in his Peace Declaration. He noted the failure of the latest Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference and pointed to conflicts like the war in Ukraine as examples of escalating global tensions.

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Surely you (policymakers) understand that any use of nuclear weapons would inflict catastrophic damage on humanity, and that nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament can only be addressed through multilateral efforts.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reiterated Japan's adherence to its three non-nuclear principles. She emphasized the nation's mission, as the only country to have experienced nuclear devastation, to pursue a world free of nuclear weapons. However, debate is growing within Japan about rethinking these principles amid worsening regional security.

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You must surely recognise the imperative to lead by example.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres echoed these concerns, warning that the safeguards preventing nuclear catastrophe are under strain. He urged a shift towards dialogue and cooperation, highlighting the imperative for leaders to set an example in disarmament efforts. The memorial ceremony included a moment of silence at 8:15 a.m., the precise time the U.S. dropped the atomic bomb in 1945.

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the norms and guardrails that have helped prevent a nuclear cataclysm are under strain.