6 August 2025
Eighty years ago, the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki suffered the world’s first attack by atomic bombings, the legacy of which remains visible and strongly felt today. The Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs solemnly remember the defining moments of 6 and 9 August 1945 which signalled the dawn of the nuclear age. These events were not only tragedies of war but represent enduring moral ruptures in the conscience of humankind, especially when we consider that the nuclear weapons used in 1945 were mere precursors to today’s arsenals, with a total destructive power more than 100,000 times greater.
This anniversary compels us not only to remember the tragic humanitarian costs but to recommit ourselves to the urgent task of preventing the use of nuclear weapons, now and forever. We pay special tribute to the Hibakusha—the survivors of the bombings—whose resilience in the face of unimaginable suffering has been a beacon of hope and a clarion call for peace. We also honour Hidankyo, the Japanese organization comprising Hibakusha, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its tireless advocacy and profound contribution to establishing a norm of nuclear taboo and to nuclear disarmament.
This year also marks three decades since the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Sir Joseph Rotblat and to Pugwash for advancing dialogue, disarmament, and a science in service of peace. Yet today, we are confronted with an alarming regression: treaties abandoned, arsenals modernized, doctrines rapidly shifting, and the spectre of resumed nuclear testing re-emerging. In many regions the threat of nuclear escalation is no longer hypothetical. The risk of a nuclear war, with devastating consequences for humanity, is higher than it has ever been. There is no greater responsibility for leaders and civil society than to avert the apocalyptic catastrophe of nuclear war. This demands urgent and sustained action: the reduction of nuclear risks, the revival and strengthening of arms control, and an unambiguous recommitment to the path of disarmament.
The lessons of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are not relics of the past; they are urgent warnings for our present and our future. The ethical and existential imperative is unchanged: to prevent any and all use of nuclear weapons. We must heed the Hibakusha’s call and reaffirm our shared commitment to the total elimination of nuclear arms, reinforcing dialogue and cooperation among states, and fostering a culture of peace that rejects war as a means of resolving disputes as the Russell-Einstein Manifesto so clearly stated seventy years ago.
We are deeply honoured to be holding our 63rd Pugwash Conference in Hiroshima this year. On this 80th anniversary, Pugwash issues a plea to leaders and citizens alike: let the memory of Hiroshima and Nagasaki remind us that the only way to avoid a nuclear catastrophe is the total abolition of nuclear weapons.
Dr. Hussain Al-Shahristani, President
Prof. Karen Hallberg, Secretary General
Prof. Götz Neuneck, Chair of the Pugwash Council
Prof. Tatsujiro Suzuki, Chair of the Pugwash Executive Committee
Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs 