Brussels - New York: Europe and the Arabs
A European statement issued in Brussels said that awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Nihon Hidankyo, a grassroots movement of atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, is a reminder of the dire consequences associated with the use of nuclear weapons and the responsibility shared by all states to prevent such an event.
As the leaders of the five nuclear-weapon states stated in January 2022, a nuclear war cannot be won and should never be fought.
The European Union consistently emphasizes the need to implement all obligations and commitments in relation to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, including the need to make tangible progress towards the full implementation of Article VI, with a view to the eventual total elimination of nuclear weapons. We promote the universality and entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. We are making intensive diplomatic efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.
The statement concluded by saying: “The European Union works with partners around the world to preserve and strengthen the global nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament architecture, and its essential contribution to international peace and security.
For his part, the Secretary-General of the United Nations congratulated the Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo on winning the Nobel Peace Prize for 2024. He said that the survivors of the atomic bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - also known as the hibakusha - are dedicated witnesses to the horrific human cost of nuclear weapons.
Nihon Hidankyo is a grassroots movement formed by survivors of the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, during World War II in 1945. The survivors (hibakusha) have dedicated their efforts to trying to rid the world of nuclear weapons.
In a press statement, Secretary-General António Guterres said: “While their numbers decrease every year, the tireless work and resilience of the hibakusha are the backbone of the global nuclear disarmament movement.”
Guterres said he would not forget He recalled his many encounters with them over the years. “Their poignant living testimonies remind the world that the nuclear threat is not confined to history books. Nuclear weapons remain a clear and present danger to humanity, and are resurfacing in the daily discourse of international relations,” he added.
The UN chief stressed that it is time for world leaders to be as clear-sighted as the hibakusha, and to see nuclear weapons for what they are: devices of death that offer no safety, protection or security.
He said that the only way to eliminate the threat posed by nuclear weapons is to eliminate them entirely. He stressed that the United Nations proudly stands with the hibakusha, “who are an inspiration to our common efforts to build a world free of nuclear weapons.”