Published on: 2026-08-06
Source: United Nations – Объединенные Нации –
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August 6, 2026 Peace and Security
Eighty-one years ago, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The city was turned into ruins, tens of thousands of people died, and humanity was confronted with the catastrophically destructive power of nuclear war.
Such a thing must never happen again, said Izumi Nakamitsu, the UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, speaking on behalf of the Secretary-General of the United Nations at the memorial ceremony in Hiroshima.
“Hiroshima remains an inspiring example of resilience, revival, and hope,” Nakaminzu noted. “For generations, its people have reminded us that even after the darkest chapters of history, a person is capable of choosing a better future and building it with their own hands.”
Just two days later in 1945, the second nuclear strike was carried out on Nagasaki. As a result of the two explosions, about 120,000 people died, and roughly the same number later died from burns and the effects of radiation exposure. After the tragedy, about 650,000 survivors remained, known as hibakusha – a term used in Japan for people who survived the atomic bombings.
Photo by UN/M. Kishida Hiroshima after the city was hit by an atomic bomb in August 1945.
The breakdown of nuclear deterrence mechanisms
Describing the current situation in the field of nuclear weapons, Nakamitsu warned that deepening geopolitical disagreements, growing distrust, and intensifying competition are undermining the norms and deterrence mechanisms that have helped the world avoid nuclear catastrophe for decades.
According to her, the long-standing trend of nuclear arsenal reductions has been replaced by the opposite process. The global consensus on the prohibition of nuclear testing is also under threat. Additionally, global military expenditures in 2025 increased to $2.9 trillion.
A promise that can still be fulfilled
“Nuclear weapons are once again being rattled, seen as tools of intimidation and coercion,” emphasized the High Representative for Disarmament. She recalled that the United Nations was established to rid the world of the ravages of war, and that the very first resolution of the General Assembly, adopted in 1946, aimed at the elimination of nuclear weapons.
“This promise remains unfulfilled to this day, but it is not impossible,” Nakamitzu said.
UN Photo/Y. Sasaki Watches found in the ruins of Hiroshima stopped forever at the moment of the atomic explosion.
She emphasized that peace is achieved not through intimidation or military power, but through trust, consistent investments in dialogue, diplomacy, and international cooperation, firm commitment to international law, and strengthening the global disarmament regime.
According to her, achieving peace requires action from all countries, but especially from those that possess nuclear weapons: it is necessary to reduce risks, restore trust, and move towards complete nuclear disarmament. Equally important, according to Nakamitsu, is to decisively reject the logic that considers nuclear weapons as the highest guarantee of security, when in reality they represent its direct opposite.
On the 81st anniversary of the tragedy, the High Representative called on the world community to show determination: “Let us choose dialogue instead of division, cooperation instead of confrontation, and collective security instead of narrow national interests. Let us bring closer the day when the tragedy of Hiroshima will never again be possible.”
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