MESSAGE TO THE NAGASAKI PEACE MEMORIAL ON THE 81st ANNIVERSARY OF THE ATOMIC BOMBING OF NAGASAKI

Eighty-one years ago, Nagasaki became a symbol of humanity’s capacity for destruction. 

Each year on this day, we remember those whose lives were lost. 

We pay tribute to the generations who rebuilt this city, turning tragedy into triumph.

And we honour the hibakusha, who transformed unimaginable suffering into an unstoppable moral force, reminding the world of what must never be repeated.

Their message of resilience, reconciliation and hope endures — and always will. 

I was deeply honoured to be the first UN Secretary-General to visit Nagasaki for this important commemoration in 2018. 

I strongly believe that the world needs to remember what happened here. 

Especially today. 

We are living through a period of profound geopolitical strain. 

Trust is eroding. 

Norms that have helped prevent catastrophe are being tested.  

The decades-long trend in nuclear arsenal reductions is reversing.

 The global norm against nuclear testing is under threat.  

Worldwide military spending jumped to $2.9 trillion in 2025.

And nuclear sabers are being rattled once more. 

Year by year, the risk of miscalculation, escalation, and conflict keeps going up. 

This is unacceptable. 

Humanity should not have to live under permanent threat. 

History reminds us that even in moments of deep rivalry, cooperation can prevail and progress is possible. 

But progress requires political will. 

It requires leadership. 

It requires recognition that our security is interdependent — that nuclear weapons only fuel uncertainty. 

And it requires heeding the lessons forged here in Nagasaki about the true horror of nuclear war.  

The path to a peaceful future is built by strengthening trust and predictability. 

By investing in the tools of peace — dialogue, diplomacy and collaboration — not the weapons of war. 

By all States — especially those possessing nuclear weapons — taking steps to reduce risks and advance towards total disarmament. 

And by re-committing to the global disarmament regime, which has, for decades, prevented a nuclear catastrophe.  

Together, we can ensure that the future is not defined by rivalry and risk, but by cooperation and stability.

Nagasaki stands today as both a warning and a guide. 

It calls on us to act, not just to remember. 

And it calls on us to rebuild trust, strengthen cooperation, and choose diplomacy over division.

Guided by the remarkable example of the people of Nagasaki across the decades, let us all commit to building a world where peace is sustained not by fear, but by shared purpose.

And on this 81st anniversary, let’s honour the bravery of the hibakusha not only with our words, but with our actions. 

The United Nations will always be your proud partner in this essential effort. 

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