July 24, 2026

With the 2026 World Conference against A and H Bombs held in the A-bombed cities of Hiroshima (August 3-6) and Nagasaki (August 8-9) approaching, Akahata on July 24 carried an interview with Secretary General of the Japan Council against A & H Bombs (Japan Gensuikyo) Yasui Masakazu about specific aspects of this year’s World Conference. The following is an excerpt from the interview:

This year’s World Conference will be held under a situation where in the face of the high-handed behavior of nuclear powers, global efforts to seek diplomatic settlement of international disputes based the UN Charter and the abolition of nuclear weapons are spreading further.

The anti-nuke World Conference will be themed on developing cooperation between the U.N., individual governments, and international as well as domestic civil society; defending the rules of peace in the UN Charter; building public opinion globally calling on more countries to join the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW); and aiming to achieve a nuclear weapon-free, peaceful, and just world.

Regarding the creation of global public opinion promoting the participation of countries in the TPNW, a leader of the U.S. “Back from the Brink” campaign working to change the government’s nuclear policy along with representatives from NATO member of Spain and South Korea, a U.S. ally like Japan, will discuss ways to advance movements pushing their governments to participate in the TPNW.

On July 7, the day marking nine years since the adoption of the TPNW, the Kingdom of Tonga joined the treaty, bringing the total number of states parties and signatories to 100. The first TPNW Review Conference slated for November will serve as an opportunity to give new momentum to the international movement aiming for a peaceful and just world without nuclear arms. At this year’s World Conference, government representatives from Austria and Cuba, both of which have a vital role in promoting the N-ban treaty, and UN Undersecretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Nakamitsu Izumi will deliver speeches.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo). Like last year’s World Conference commemorating the 80th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombings, this year’s conference will offer a program centering on testimonies of Hibakusha (A-bomb survivors) to raise awareness across the world of the real damage caused during and after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.