Atomic Bomb Survivors Urge Nuclear Abolition at US UN Conference

Atomic bomb survivors and city leaders urged the total abolition of nuclear weapons during a United Nations review conference in New York on Saturday ^[1].

The appeal comes as the international community struggles to maintain arms control agreements amid rising global tensions. The survivors argue that the existence of nuclear weapons is inextricably linked to the occurrence of war, making peace the only viable path to disarmament.

Approximately 180 survivors and activists traveled to the UN headquarters to participate in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference ^[2]. The meeting originally began on April 27 ^[1].

Jiro Hamazumi, secretary general of the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Victims, linked the use of nuclear weapons directly to the state of conflict. "Nuclear weapons were used because war was waged. War must not happen," Hamazumi said ^[1].

Kazumi Matsui, the mayor of Hiroshima, called for a renewal of the global commitment to prevent the spread of nuclear arms. "The value of the framework for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation that the international community has built should be reaffirmed now," Matsui said ^[1].

Shirou Suzuki, the mayor of Nagasaki, described the elimination of these weapons as the only way to ensure the survival of future generations. "The abolition of nuclear weapons is the only path left for humanity to connect the lives on this planet to the future," Suzuki said ^[1].

The delegation focused on the premise that nuclear disarmament cannot be achieved without a broader commitment to ending war. By framing nuclear weapons not just as tools of war, but as products of it, the group sought to move the international community toward a total ban ^[1].