Commemoration on the occasion of the 70th year since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Ambassador Sano,
Excellencies,
Dear Youth Communicators,
Ladies and gentlemen:

Few of us are old enough to have experienced the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But all of us are wise enough, to understand that it was an experience that we never want to encounter. And all it takes to come to this conclusion is awareness of the consequences. That is why today’s commemoration here in Geneva is essential. I am grateful to the Delegation of Japan to the Conference on Disarmament for having organized this event.

As humans, we tend to forget events from the past. But for the sake of humanity, we must remember what happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki seventy years ago. The Hibakusha ["hibakusha" are the surviving victims of the atomic bombs which fell on Hiroshima and Nagasaki], who survived those terrible events, never forgot. And they have served, and continue to serve, all of us by sharing how the atomic bombs forever changed their lives. By listening to their accounts we pay respect to the victims of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The film we are going to see is a powerful illustration of their moving memories.

The film will help to preserve the accounts of those who survived the bombings. And the young men and women who are speaking up as Youth Communicators will keep those accounts alive. I am particularly pleased to welcome them to the Palais des Nations and would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their commitment. Their dedication to educating others adds an extremely valuable component to the global efforts in disarmament education which the United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs promotes in collaboration with partners such as the UN Institute for Disarmament Research here in Geneva and other United Nations entities and NGOs worldwide.

Remembrance and awareness are crucial. But as the Secretary-General stated in his message to the recent meeting of Nihon Hidankyo, [Japan Confederation of A- and H- Bomb Sufferers Organizations] the 70th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki should also be a moment to rally the world to action. This call to action is needed most desperately in global disarmament efforts, and very much so here in Geneva in the Conference on Disarmament.

Those of us working in international Geneva – often referred to as the humanitarian capital of the world – are well aware of the importance of the humanitarian impact of war. The Geneva conventions established important principles to protect civilians in armed conflict. The images of World War II, including the nuclear explosions, certainly played a role in bringing Governments around the table to sign on to them.

At the three conferences on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons in Oslo, Nayarit and Vienna, many States agreed that no response capacity exists that would adequately respond to the suffering that would result from a nuclear weapon explosion in populated areas. In fact, such capacity is unlikely ever to exist. First responders of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the national Red Cross Federation in Hiroshima and Nagasaki seventy years ago already faced this painful reality.

And yet, when nuclear disarmament is discussed in forums such as the Conference on Disarmament or the recent NPT review conference, narrow geopolitical arguments all too often cloud the common interest of all nations. The international community must overcome the current deadlock, must show compromise and dextrous diplomacy to find innovative solutions. Entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and the commencement of negotiations on the ban of the production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons and other nuclear explosive devices are but two obvious next steps.

To move away from the current deadlock, we need to widen the discourse. Civil Society can help us to do so. It has successfully shown this with respect to helping end nuclear weapons testing, ban anti-personnel landmines and cluster munitions, and regulate the global arms trade through the adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty. This is one of the reasons why we held the first informal Civil Society Forum of the Conference on Disarmament this year. And I am very happy to see that Civil Society representatives have joined us at today’s event.

Seventy years ago, the world witnessed a new level of destructiveness. And seventy years ago, the United Nations was created to prevent future generations from having to witness destruction of that scale ever again. But as long as nuclear weapons continue to exist, this cannot be guaranteed. Recently, we have seen important developments in the right direction. The agreement concerning Iran’s nuclear programme is one example that shows how we can achieve diplomatic breakthroughs and that apparently insurmountable differences can be overcome. We must now build on this momentum to address other pressing nuclear proliferation and disarmament issues.

Today’s event helps to rebuild momentum to move forward on global nuclear disarmament negotiations. By bringing together crucial memories with fresh minds, it combines the strength of history with the power of youth. I wish you a really fruitful discussion following the movie and I very much hope that the event will strengthen and increase the engagement of young people and civil society with the issue of disarmament here in Geneva and beyond.

Thank you very much.