Memorializing Victims of Atomic Bombing in Nagasaki
In the heart of Japan, two cities hold a symbolic role in the movement against nuclear weapons - Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These cities, devastated by atomic bombs in 1945, stand as powerful reminders of the horrors of war and peace.
Recently, Nagasaki's Mayor, Shiro Suzuki, issued a peace declaration, calling for the abolition of all nuclear weapons worldwide. This declaration came on the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, which claimed approximately 70,000 lives instantly. Mayor Suzuki warned of the growing danger of a nuclear war and urged the world to learn from history to prevent future atomic bombings.
Three days prior, Hiroshima's Mayor made a similar demand for Japan's government to join the 2017 UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). This treaty, the leading legal instrument globally aiming to ban nuclear weapons, has been signed by 94 countries, with 73 ratifying or acceding to it. However, none of the nine nuclear-armed states have signed the TPNW, hindering practical disarmament.
The Cities Appeal, a grassroots movement inspired partly by nuclear victim cities like Hiroshima and Nagasaki, is actively mobilizing pressure to support the treaty. Over 1,000 cities worldwide, including some in nations with nuclear weapons, are urging their governments to endorse the treaty as a step towards global disarmament.
The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), adopted earlier in 1996, complements these efforts but has not entered into force due to the lack of ratification by nine key countries, including China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel, Egypt, Iran, Russia, and the United States. This stalemate illustrates ongoing challenges in achieving comprehensive nuclear disarmament.
The Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese organization composed of survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, highlights the importance of grassroots efforts in promoting peace and disarmament. The organization continues to advocate for the abolition of all nuclear weapons worldwide.
Mayor Shiro Suzuki declared that he wants Nagasaki to remain the last city to suffer an atomic inferno. His statement underscores the urgency of global nuclear disarmament and the need to break the cycle of confrontation and division in today's world. The existential crisis for humanity due to nuclear war has become immediate, and the world must act swiftly to prevent such a catastrophe.
[1] International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). (2022). The UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Retrieved from https://www.icanw.org/the-un-treaty/
[2] Arms Control Association. (2022). The CTBT: A Step Toward Nuclear Disarmament. Retrieved from https://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/CTBT
[3] Federation of American Scientists. (2022). Nuclear Weapons Modernization Programs. Retrieved from https://fas.org/issues/nuclear-weapons/program/
[4] Mayors for Peace. (2022). The Cities Appeal. Retrieved from https://www.mayorsforpeace.org/en/activities/the-cities-appeal/
[5] Nobel Peace Prize. (2021). The Nobel Peace Prize 2020. Retrieved from https://www.nobelpeaceprize.org/articles/the-nobel-peace-prize-2020/
- The ongoing efforts to ban nuclear weapons worldwide have been advanced by various stakeholders, including mayors of cities affected by war-and-conflicts like Hiroshima and Nagasaki, who have called for their governments to join the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).
- Amidst the growing concern over the dangers of politics leading to nuclear war, organizations such as the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and Mayors for Peace have highlighted general-news stories regarding grassroots movements and treaties aimed at promoting global nuclear disarmament.
