Over 90 countries including Japan called for preserving the memories of the devastation caused by nuclear attacks on Thursday during a preparatory meeting for next year's U.N. nuclear disarmament review conference.
The move to issue the joint statement was led by Japan, with this year marking the 80th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. From among nuclear weapons states, Britain was the only one that joined.
Provided by Kyodo News
"Among the disarmament education efforts around the world, the invaluable testimonies of those who experienced and witnessed the devastation caused by nuclear explosions and its aftermath have played an indispensable role," the 94 state parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty said, touching on the contribution of Japan's leading atomic bomb survivors' group Nihon Hidankyo, which received the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize.
But the statement warned that "With time, it is becoming more and more difficult to have the opportunity to hear firsthand accounts," making each remaining testimony "even more precious."
All NPT members were encouraged to "ensure the stories and memories of those affected are preserved and passed on to future generations," the statement said.
The document was read out by Tomiko Ichikawa, ambassador to the delegation of Japan to the Conference on Disarmament, during the third session of the preparatory committee for the 2026 NPT review conference, which will continue through May 9 at the U.N. headquarters in New York.
The NPT recognizes Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States as the so-called nuclear weapons states and obligates them to pursue nuclear disarmament. But progress has been slow, leading to a buildup of frustration among aging atomic bomb survivors and some nonnuclear nations.
The joint statement, joined by countries including South Korea, Australia and Ukraine, said education on disarmament must "continuously evolve" and that education providers must "adapt accordingly" to the advance of information and communication technologies, including artificial intelligence, in reaching the younger generations.
Atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the final days of World War II in August 1945, killing an estimated 214,000 people by the end of that year and leaving numerous survivors grappling with long-term physical and mental health challenges.
Nihon Hidankyo, or the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, received the Nobel Peace Prize last year for its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons and for demonstrating through witness testimony that nuclear weapons must never be used again.