Nihon Hidankyo Member: Path Toward Abolition of Nuclear Weapons Unclear; 2026 Nonproliferation Conference to Face Challenges

By Yasushi Kaneko and Kenta Kamimura / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers

18:49 JST, April 30, 2025

NEW YORK — A member of Nihon Hidankyo said that he cannot see moves toward the abolition of nuclear weapons, following a meeting on nuclear nonproliferation at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Monday.

The third and final Preparatory Committee session for the 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) started on Monday. The Russian aggression against Ukraine and ever increasing uncertainty in the Middle East are expected to pose challenges in the latest session.

Participants at the session include Jiro Hamasumi, 79, of the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year.

“Looking at the picture right now, I can’t see that it’s going in the direction [of the abolition of nuclear weapons] at all,” Hamasumi told reporters after the meeting on the first day. “We hibakusha [atomic bomb survivors] have maintained that damage caused by nuclear weapons should never be inflicted. I hope they’ll discuss that more.”

The NPT is an international framework aimed at global nuclear disarmament, and 191 countries and regions have joined the treaty, including the nuclear powers of the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France and China. The 2015 and 2022 review conferences fell apart due to such reasons as opposition by Russia.

The current Preparatory Committee session, which will continue through May 9, will serve as an important stepping stone for consensus building at next year’s conference.

Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya has called for the maintenance and reinforcement of the NPT framework, saying that whether nuclear power brings peace and prosperity or destruction and downfall depends on those present at the session.