Hiroshima calls for an end to nuclear weapons on the 80th anniversary of the bombing

The Japanese city of Hiroshima called on the international community on Wednesday to reach a consensus to end nuclear weapons, on the 80th anniversary of its atomic bombing, the first in history.

"Despite the current turmoil at the state level, we, the people, must never give up. Instead, we must strive even harder to build consensus in civil society on the need to abolish nuclear weapons for a truly peaceful world," said the city's mayor, Kazumi Matsui, in a peace declaration read during the ceremony today.

In the text, which is made public every year on this important date, the mayor sends a clear message to leaders around the world, urging them to reflect and realize that their policies are the cause of global conflicts.

"Please visit Hiroshima. Witness with your own eyes what an atomic bombing does. Sincerely embrace the peaceful spirit of Hiroshima and immediately begin discussing a trust-based security framework through dialogue," the statement added.

Some 55,000 people from 120 countries and regions attended the peace ceremony in the Japanese city on Wednesday, marking a record diplomatic representation despite temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius and heat exhaustion warnings this morning.

The Peace Bell rang out in the town's Peace Memorial Park during the minute of silence observed at 8:15 a.m. local time (23:15 GMT Tuesday), the exact time the 'Little Boy' bomb was dropped by the Enola Gay bomber on the town, killing an estimated 70,000 people instantly , a figure that would double by the end of 1945.

Japan's position

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Wednesday that Tokyo must "lead global efforts" to achieve a world without nuclear weapons, during his speech at the ceremony.

"Leading the international community to achieve a world without nuclear weapons is Japan's mission as the only country to have suffered the atomic bomb in war and to apply the three non-nuclear principles," Ishiba said.

The president also rejected the possibility of the country sharing US nuclear weapons and reaffirmed the Japanese government's willingness to respect those principles.

In the background, protest slogans from demonstrators against nuclear weapons could be heard coming from outside the venue .

New faces among the attendees

An unprecedented 120 countries and regions , including Israel, Palestine and Ukraine but not Russia, participated in the meeting today.

Russia was absent for the second consecutive year after the invasion of Ukraine, its ally Belarus , however, participated for the first time in four years, after the Hiroshima veto on both countries was lifted.

This was also the first year in which Palestine and Taiwan, which are not officially recognized by Japan , participated, and several nuclear powers were also present: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, India—a non-signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty—and Israel.

Greater risk than ever

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) used the occasion to warn that the risk of nuclear weapons being used is greater now than ever before due to ongoing tensions and conflicts.

"The risk of nuclear weapons use is higher now than ever, as we have a series of confrontations and conflicts involving nuclear-weapon states," ICAN Executive Director Melissa Parke explained in an interview with EFE.

Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017, the organization finds the discourse that nuclear weapons can be used tactically particularly worrying: "We must remember that the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki would be described today as tactical nuclear weapons," it added.

Fewer and fewer survivors

The 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing is particularly significant this year, as it is the first year in which the total number of officially recognized survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki has fallen below 100,000, for the first time since the certification system began in 1957.

According to the ministry, Hiroshima Prefecture has the highest number of hibakusha health card holders, with 48,310, followed by Nagasaki with 23,543, and Fukuoka with 3,957.

The United States launched the first nuclear attack on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, and three days later dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, leading to Japan's surrender on August 15 and ending World War II.

An estimated 210,000 people died in both cities due to the bombing, which also left 150,000 injured and humanitarian and environmental consequences.