Mayor Matsui, Deputy-Mayor Takeda.  

 

Ladies and gentlemen of the media.  

 

This is my second visit to Hiroshima.  

 

It’s impossible to come to Hiroshima without feeling the weight of what happened here.  

 

And without seeing with absolute clarity the sheer absurdity of nuclear weapons.  

 

I thank Mayor Matsui and Deputy-Mayor Takeda for our discussion today, and I particularly would like to express my gratitude to Mayor Matsui for granting me honourary citizenship of the great city of Hiroshima.  

 

Peace is at the heart of my job as Secretary-General.  

 

And nowhere are the lessons of peace clearer than in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  

 

This morning’s memorial ceremony reminded us that the tens of thousands of people who were killed in these two cities 77 years ago are speaking to us across the decades.  

 

They speak through the brave hibakusha I met today, whose testimonies of that terrifying moment in history should never be forgotten.  

 

They speak through the young activists here today, who carry the message of peace forward to a new generation.   

 

And they speak through the members of the Treaties on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in their efforts to bring about a world free of nuclear weapons.  

 

Today, the world is in danger of forgetting the lessons forged here 77 years ago.  

 

Almost 13,000 nuclear weapons are being held.  

 

Stockpiles are being upgraded.  

 

And the common thread of potential nuclear annihilation runs through geopolitical crises the world over — from the Middle East, to the Korean peninsula, to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.   

 

It is unacceptable for states in possession of nuclear weapons to admit the possibility of nuclear war.  

 

The signals are flashing red.  

 

We must use every avenue of dialogue, diplomacy and negotiation to ease tensions and eliminate the nuclear threat.   

 

Countries with nuclear weapons must commit to the “no first use” of those weapons. They must also assure States that do not have nuclear weapons that they will not use — or threaten to use — nuclear weapons against them. And they must be transparent throughout.    

 

There is only one solution to the nuclear threat: not to have nuclear weapons at all.   

 

As I said today in the memorial ceremony, it’s time to proliferate peace.  

 

In memory of those who lost their lives here 77 years ago, I pledge to work relentlessly towards this goal.     

 

Question: The use of nuclear weapons has been implied in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began in February and during the NPT Review Conference you stated that humanity is in danger of forgetting the lessons faced in the terrifying fires of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  

 

The international community is currently facing the highest risk of nuclear war, since the end of the Cold War. In addition, we are losing the Hibakusha who continue to convey the realities of the bombing. What would you like to see the atomic cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as the government of Japan do to help avert or avoid the outbreak of nuclear war?  

 

Answer: I believe that the voices of the hibakusha have the moral authority and the population of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and their elected representatives are one of the best assets we have today in the world to explain the absurdity of nuclear weapons. That is the reason why I said today very clearly referring to recent declarations that it is unacceptable for States in possession of nuclear weapons to admit the possibility of nuclear war.  

 

I also said that countries with nuclear weapons must commit to the no first use of those weapons because if nobody is the first to use there would simply be no nuclear confrontation. So this is also the time to understand that non-proliferation is very important, but non-proliferation is just one face of the reality that we must pursue. The other face is disarmament, and one of the things I believe Japan can play a role in the inputs it has in international relations, is to make countries understand that we need to go back to the tradition of the half past century where so much progress has been made in relation to disarmament mainly in reduction of nuclear weapons and to restart again that process instead of what we are witnessing today, which is States investing again in modernization of nuclear arsenals in development of other new kinds of weapons, and at the same time, we saw several treaties not being granulated and the new stuff was renovated, fortunately, but there is still a risk so it is absolutely essential, and Japan can play a very important role on that - to take the disarmament seriously. Non-proliferation is essential but disarmament is also essential if you want to avoid risk. We will only be completely without risk of nuclear war, the day that there are no nuclear weapons at all. 

 

Question: During his speech at the NPT Review Conference, Prime Minister Kishida stated that the Japanese government will be making a $10 million dollar contribution to the United Nations to create a youth leaders fund. How would you like to see this fund used in the future?  

 

Answer: I think that nothing would be more important in the use of the funds than to prepare on one hand visits of young people from all over the world to Hiroshima and Nagasaki and on the other hand, distribute to schools all over the world materials in relation to what has happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I was today really very moved when I saw from one of the hibakushas in the city of the Nagasaki, she has a group of posters with photos and the description of what has happened, and I asked her please we would like to have those photos translated into several languages, the posters, and this would be fantastic to distribute through schools around the world.  

 

So on one hand, let's bring young people to see the reality here. On the other hand, let's bring this reality everywhere for young people to understand what has happened. And understand what has happened to be committed for the end of the nuclear weapons as a whole. 

 

Question: Hiroshima will be hosting the International Group of Eminent Persons. The Prime Minister Kishida announced it in his speech is recently. That will happen in November in this city. Also, as you know, next year in May the G7 Summit will be held in Hiroshima.  

 

The Japanese government has repeatedly stated that they will work to serve as a bridge between nuclear haves and have not. What do you hope these two meetings which will happen in Hiroshima will accomplish in terms of nuclear disarmament?  

 

Answer: Well, the most important thing is to restart a disarmament commitment and a disarmament process. I hope that in these two meetings, principles requiring the negotiations on the new start, to be effective on the different gaps that were opened by the end of several treaties in recent time to be overcome. And for new bold initiatives in disarmament to be taken. And I mean it, I would be very happy if the principle of “no first use” could be finally adopted by all countries that have nuclear power. At the same time, we would be able, and those two meetings can be very helpful in this direction, we would be able to make sure that non-proliferation also moves forward in a positive way. I hope that we’ll have mechanisms to reduce risks and increase confidence.  

 

I hope that there will be possibility of solid agreements for the better use of nuclear energy and in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals, and for peaceful purposes. I hope that there will be renewed commitments made in relation to the use of nuclear weapons in the present conference of non-proliferation and in the need to move forward again with an agenda for disarmament. I think this can be very important.