Hiroshima fosters hope, 81 years on from nuclear catastrophe
UN disarmament chief marks Hiroshima’s 81st anniversary by urging renewed dialogue and diplomacy to prevent nuclear war, warning of eroding global safeguards.
Eighty-one years after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, UN Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu commemorated the tragedy at a memorial ceremony, reaffirming the UN’s call to eliminate nuclear weapons. Speaking on behalf of Secretary-General António Guterres, she described Hiroshima as a symbol of resilience, emphasizing that rebuilding trust and cooperation remains essential to prevent future catastrophes. The ceremony marked the dual anniversaries of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, which killed an estimated 120,000 people initially and left lasting humanitarian scars among survivors known as hibakusha.
Nakamitsu warned that global nuclear disarmament efforts are reversing, with military spending reaching $2.9 trillion in 2025 and the norm against nuclear testing under threat. She highlighted rising geopolitical tensions and the resurgence of nuclear saber-rattling as destabilizing factors, stressing that the UN’s founding objective to eliminate nuclear weapons remains unfulfilled. The disarmament regime, she noted, requires strengthened international law and sustained diplomatic investment to rebuild confidence among states.
The UN official reiterated that peace cannot be secured through fear or coercion but through dialogue, cooperation, and adherence to international law. She called for a rejection of the belief that nuclear weapons ensure security, describing them instead as a fundamental threat to global stability. Nakamitsu urged all states—particularly those with nuclear arsenals—to take concrete steps toward disarmament and risk reduction, emphasizing the need for collective action over narrow national interests.
On the 81st anniversary, Nakamitsu issued a clarion call for renewed commitment to dialogue over division and common security over unilateral advantage. She framed the commemoration as an opportunity to honor the victims of Hiroshima while reaffirming the urgent need to prevent such devastation from ever occurring again, urging the international community to prioritize diplomacy and cooperation in addressing nuclear risks.