Eighty-one years ago on Thursday, August 5th, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, devastating the city, killing tens of thousands, and exposing the world to the catastrophic power of nuclear war. Just two days later, a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on August 8th, 1945. The two blasts killed around 120,000 people, with a similar number dying later from burns and radiation injuries, leaving behind approximately 650,000 survivors known as the hibakusha.

At a memorial ceremony in Hiroshima, the UN chief for disarmament affairs declared the bombing an act that must never be repeated. Izumi Nakamitsu, speaking on behalf of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, described Hiroshima as "an inspiring example of resilience, renewal and hope," highlighting how its people remind the world that even after the darkest moments, a different future can be built.

Nakamitsu provided a snapshot of the current nuclear landscape, warning that deepening geopolitical divisions, rising mistrust, and intensifying competition are straining the norms and safeguards that have helped prevent a nuclear catastrophe. She noted that the decades-long trend of nuclear arsenal reductions is reversing, the global norm against nuclear testing is under threat, and worldwide military spending surged to $2.9 trillion in 2025.

The UN disarmament chief emphasized that "nuclear sabres are being rattled once again in the name of power and coercion," recalling that the United Nations was founded to eliminate the scourge of war, with its General Assembly's first resolution in 1946 aiming to eliminate nuclear weapons.

Nakamitsu stressed that peace is secured not through fear or might, but through trust, sustained dialogue, diplomacy, international cooperation, commitment to international law, and strengthening the global disarmament regime.

Sources

UN News: Hiroshima fosters hope, 81 years on from nuclear catastrophe