Guterres congratulated the Japanese anti-nuclear group on winning the Nobel Peace Prize
Grassroots movement of survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, known as hibakushacommitted to achieving a nuclear-free world.
Mr. Guterres is described female hibakusha as “selfless, soulful witnesses to the terrible human cost of nuclear weapons.”
Although their numbers grow smaller every year, their tireless work and resilience are the “backbone” of the global nuclear disarmament movement, he added.
The Secretary General said he will never forget his many meetings with hibakusha over the years.
Global inspiration
“Their vivid, haunting testimony reminds the world that the nuclear threat is not limited to history books. “Nuclear weapons remain a clear and present danger to humanity, once again appearing in the daily rhetoric of international relations,” he said.
“It is time for world leaders to be as wise as hibakushaAnd see nuclear weapons for what they are: deadly devices that provide no safety, protection or security. The only way to eliminate the threat from nuclear weapons is to eliminate them altogether.”
He said the UN is proud to stand by hibakusha who “are an inspiration to our common efforts to build a world free of nuclear weapons.
