Guterres warns of the high risk of nuclear conflict and attacks countries that use these weapons for “coercion”
The ICRC calls for work toward the "complete elimination" of these weapons
The Japanese city of Hiroshima commemorated this Wednesday the victims of the devastating atomic bombing carried out by the United States 80 years ago, a nuclear attack that left some 140,000 dead and was preceded, just three days later, by an identical bombing of Nagasaki, which killed another 74,000 people.
The city held a minute of silence early this morning in memory of the victims and wounded of that August 6, 1945, shortly before the end of World War II, and called for a “world free of nuclear weapons” to prevent such attacks from happening again in the future.
Hiroshima Mayor Matsui Kazumi kicked off Wednesday’s events with a speech in which he highlighted the role of the survivors, known as “hibakusha,” and called for “never giving up” to achieve the “complete abolition of nuclear weapons.”
“We must make the desire for nuclear abolition the consensus of civil society,” he asserted during an event attended by leaders from more than 100 countries around the world, as well as survivors and activists.
In this regard, he advocated for “dialogue” rather than the “possession” of nuclear weapons, especially as geopolitical tensions between the major world powers increase. “In some countries, policymakers even accept the idea that nuclear weapons are essential for national defense,” he lamented, while urging “the adoption of the pacifist spirit of Hiroshima and the discussion of a security framework based on trust.”
The country’s Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba, has asserted that Tokyo seeks to “lead international efforts to achieve a world without nuclear weapons,” although he avoided directly naming the United States in connection with the bombing.
However, although Japan is under the US nuclear umbrella, he ruled out Washington’s “sharing” of these weapons, given Japan’s desire to “respect its principles.” “Eighty years ago, an atomic bomb exploded, causing thousands of lives lost. Those who survived have lived through an agony that cannot be described,” he lamented, according to reports in The Japan Times.
“We must never repeat the disasters of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is our mission as the only country in the world to have suffered nuclear attacks, and we must pressure the world to ensure that the principles of nuclear non-proliferation are upheld,” he asserted.
THE UN WARNS OF THE HIGH RISK OF A NUCLEAR CONFLICT
UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized that exactly 80 years ago today, “the world changed forever.” “Thousands of lives were lost and the city was reduced to ashes. Humanity crossed a point of no return, so today we remember those who are no longer with us and show our support for their families,” he said in a statement.
“We also want to honor the brave survivors, whose voices have become a moral force in achieving peace, even though they are dwindling in number. This year also marks the 80th anniversary of the birth of the United Nations, and we must remember that it was created to prevent war and to champion humanity,” he added.
However, he admitted that today, “the risk of a nuclear conflict is growing as trust erodes.” “Geopolitical divisions are widening, and the same weapons that brought devastation to Hiroshima and Nagasaki are being used as tools of coercion,” he lamented.
“Commitments must lead to real change that strengthens the global disarmament regime and, in particular, reaffirms the importance of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty,” he noted, while urging “work to eradicate the threat of nuclear weapons.”
For its part, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has urged the elimination of these types of weapons. The organization’s president, Mirjana Spoljaric, warned that survivors “continue to face physical and emotional damage” given the “lasting consequences” of this type of bombing.
“The risk of accidental use of nuclear weapons is real, and there are many more of these weapons now than there were 80 years ago. They are also more powerful now. The bomb that fell on Hiroshima is now considered a small nuclear weapon,” he noted, according to an ICRC statement.
For this reason, he emphasized that “any use of this type of weaponry would constitute a catastrophic failure for humanity. In particular, no humanitarian response can address the suffering left behind by a nuclear detonation in or near a populated area. I doubt that this type of weaponry could ever be used if the principles of international law are followed,” he maintained.
“I call on all states never to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons, to adopt risk reduction measures to prevent their deliberate or accidental use, and to end as soon as possible the idea of relying on these weapons under the guise of national security,” Spoljaric clarified, calling for work toward the “complete elimination” of these weapons.
