August 7, 2026
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2026 August 5 - 11 [PEACE]
2026 antinuke World Con. Hiroshima Day Rally renews resolve to achieve abolition of nuclear weapons |
UN Under-Secretary-General/High Representatives for Disarmament Affairs Nakamitsu Izumi and a representative of the Mexican government delivered speeches.
Nakamitsu in her speech stated that the use of nuclear weapons can never be a security option and is a path leading straight to destruction. She said encouragingly, “It is ordinary citizens who suffer the damage from the use of nuclear weapons. However, we have the power and responsibility to abolish them.”
Enrique Javier Ochoa Martínez, Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights in Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, pointed out that nuclear weapons destabilize international relations and pose a long-term threat to humanity as a whole. Stating that there is no realistic alternative to the total elimination of nuclear weapons, the undersecretary expressed his hope that many countries will sign and ratify the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).
Representing A-bomb survivors (Hibakusha), Hiroshima Hidankyo head Sakuma Kunihiko delivered a speech and demanded that the Japanese government ratify the TPNW.
Delegates from South Korea, the U.S., Spain, and France spoke before an audience. Okinawa Governor Tamaki Denny sent a video message expressing solidarity to the rally.
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At the Hiroshima City-hosted peace memorial ceremony earlier in the day, Mayor Matsui Kazumi in the peace declaration pointed out that “too many political leaders, still considering nuclear deterrence a realistic approach, accept the international community’s legitimization of violence,” and called on the Japanese government to participate as an observer in this November’s TPNW review conference and become a party to the treaty without delay.
A Japanese Communist Party delegation led by Executive Committee Chair Tamura Tomoko attended both the ceremony and the Hiroshima Day rally.
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Appeal from Hiroshima
“Having been given life in exchange for my father’s death, not a day goes by without my thinking of him. The war is not over, for there are still more than 12,000 nuclear weapons in the world. The Hibakusha can never feel at ease until that number reaches zero…. Atomic bombs are weapons of the devil that cannot coexist with humanity. …Nuclear weapons were used precisely because we went to war.. We must not go to war. Let us work together to build a human society free from nuclear weapons and war.”
--Excerpt from remarks by Hamasumi Jiro, Secretary General of
Nihon Hidankyo, at the NPT Review Conference on May 1, 2026--
On August 6, marking the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing, we — who have gathered in Hiroshima, the site of the A-bombing, through grassroots movements — join with the Hibakusha in calling upon the world to rise to action with renewed determination to forge a path toward a “nuclear weapon-free, peaceful and just world.”
The world now stands on the brink of nuclear catastrophe. The armed attacks by nuclear-armed states against Iran, Ukraine, Gaza, and elsewhere constitute the most egregious violations of the UN Charter and could easily lead to an escalation into nuclear war. Nuclear-armed states and their allies are pushing to further strengthen their nuclear arsenals and are intent on pursuing massive military buildups. It is deeply concerning that Japan’s Takaichi administration is blindly following the US Trump administration in this endeavor. As the only nation to have suffered from atomic bombings and as a country with Article 9 of the Constitution, Japan must take the lead in working to abolish nuclear weapons and realizing world peace.
We must never allow what happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki to be repeated anywhere in the world. The abolition of nuclear weapons is an urgent issue bearing on the survival of humanity.
Despite obstruction by the nuclear-armed states and nuclear dependent states that cling to the outdated concept of “nuclear deterrence,” at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference, 70 percent of the States parties supported the implementation of Article VI, which mandates nuclear disarmament. The number of countries that have signed, ratified, or acceded to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) has now reached 100. The tireless efforts of the Hibakusha and civil society are driving this global momentum. It is precisely the combined strength of governments, civil society, and grassroots movements that offers hope for overcoming the danger of nuclear catastrophe and paving the way for humanity’s future. In Japan, too, public opinion overwhelmingly calls for upholding the “Three Non-Nuclear Principles,” and the call to “protect the Peace Constitution” is spreading nationwide.
In support of the Declaration of the International Meeting of the 2026 World Conference against A and H Bombs, we call on everyone to take the following actions:
- Now is the time to widely inform the global public of the “reality of the atomic bombings” in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and to denounce the inhumanity of nuclear weapons. Let us organize gatherings around the world as well as throughout Japan where Hibakusha share their experiences, and let us carry forward and spread the history of the Hibakusha’s struggles.
- Taking the Review Conference of the TPNW and the U.N. General Assembly as milestones, let us further develop cooperation among governments, civil society, and grassroots movements.
- Demanding that Japan should break free from the shackles of “nuclear deterrence” doctrine and sign and ratify the TPNW, let us intensify our signature campaigns and efforts to have local governments adopt resolutions to this effect. Refusing to allow any revision of the “Three Non-Nuclear Principles”, we demand that they are strictly observed and enshrined in law. Let us protect and expand the nuclear-free “Kobe System.”
- Let us achieve fundamental improvements to the A-bomb disease certification system and secure State Compensation for A-bomb survivors. Let us achieve comprehensive relief for the victims of the “Black Rain” in Hiroshima and those who “experienced the A-bomb” in Nagasaki. We support the activities of the Hibakusha in Japan and on the Korean Peninsula as well as nuclear victims worldwide, and develop these efforts together. Let us stand in solidarity with the victims of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. We cooperate in such international efforts as providing support to the Hibakusha and nuclear test victims, and restoring the environment of contaminated areas.
- We demand a swift end to the U.S. war against Iran, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Let us expand our solidarity with the Palestinian people. Let us call for the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East. We aim to build peace in East Asia through dialogue and inclusion, starting with the “ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific” (AOIP).
- Opposing the Takashi administration’s massive military buildup and efforts to turn Japan into a “war-capable nation,” we will block the revision of Article 9 of Japan’s Constitution. Let us prevent Japan from participating in U.S. nuclear strategy under the guise of “extended deterrence”, including the deployment of long-range missiles such as Tomahawks, the acquisition of “enemy base attack capabilities”, and the acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines. We will thwart attempts to further integrate the U.S. military and the Self-Defense Forces of Japan. We oppose the designation of civilian airports and sea ports for specific military use. Let us abolish the “War Laws.” Let us stand in solidarity with the “All Okinawan” struggle and demand the cancellation of the construction of the new base at Henoko and the immediate return of the Futenma Air Station to Japan. Let us achieve victory in the forthcoming Okinawa gubernatorial election. Let us block the ongoing militarization of Kyushu, Okinawa, the Nansei Islands, and the rest of the country.
- We will join hands with all those who wish to live humane lives and forge a grand alliance for human dignity and a peaceful future -- from the movement for zero nuclear power plants, resolving the climate crisis, overcoming poverty and inequality, reducing military spending, expanding support for daily living, welfare, education, and disaster relief, opposing xenophobia, introducing a system allowing married couples to choose separate surnames, and advocating for gender equality and the expansion of LGBT rights.
No More Hiroshimas, No More Nagasakis, No More Hibakusha, No More War.
August 6, 2026
2026 World Conference against A and H Bombs/ Hiroshima Day Rally
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