UN Chief Hails Japan's Atomic Bomb Survivors For Nobel Peace Prize Win

NEW YORK, Oct 13 (Bernama-Kyodo) -- United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday congratulated a prominent Japanese organisation representing atomic bomb survivors on winning the Nobel Peace Prize, praising them as the "backbone of the global nuclear disarmament movement."

In a statement, Guterres expressed the UN’s solidarity with the hibakusha -- the Japanese term for atomic bomb survivors -- calling them an "inspiration" for global efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons, according to Kyodo News Agency.

He noted that the testimonies of survivors from the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki serve as a stark reminder that the threat of nuclear weapons is not confined to the past.

“The danger of nuclear weapons once again features in the daily rhetoric of international relations. The only way to eliminate the threat of nuclear weapons is to eliminate them altogether," Guterres said.

On Friday, the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese grassroots organization comprising atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in recognition of its efforts 'to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons.

Izumi Nakamitsu, UN Deputy Secretary-General for Disarmament, echoed Guterres' sentiments during a press conference in New York.

She highlighted the significance of the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organisations in shaping global public opinion on nuclear disarmament.

“Just imagine surviving atomic bombings… most would not want to relive those memories. Yet these survivors chose to share their catastrophic experiences with the world, pushing for the reduction and eventual elimination of nuclear weapons," said Nakamitsu, herself a Japanese national.

She also expressed hope that the Japanese government would consider participating in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons as an observer.

In its announcement granting the award to Nihon Hidankyo, the Norwegian Nobel Committee also expressed concern that the long-standing taboo against the use of nuclear weapons was weakening.

-- BERNAMA-KYODO