While in Hiroshima, The Elders published a statement highlighting the urgency of the nuclear threat. They urged world leaders to take meaningful steps to reduce nuclear risks, revive arms control dialogue, and halt nuclear weapons modernisation.

Read and download the statement here.

The Elders also met with hibakusha - survivors of the atomic bombings - to hear their powerful testimonies and honour their decades-long advocacy for a world free of nuclear weapons.

Honouring the victims of the atomic bomb

Hiroshima Peace Park 

Elders gathered at the Peace Park Cenotaph to pay respect to all who perished from the atomic bomb and its after effects in a wreath laying ceremony, alongside Mayor of Hiroshima Kazumi Matsui and city officials. The solemn promise engraved on the memorial: "Let all the souls here rest in peace, for we shall not repeat the evil" echoes with renewed urgency at this moment of growing nuclear danger. 

Exploring intergenerational leadership on nuclear threats

Public event, International Conference Centre Hiroshima

The Elders were joined by speakers including passionate young disarmament activists for a public discussion examining the dangerous erosion of the taboo on the use of nuclear weapons. The panel's insights underscored the necessity of uniting diverse voices to re-energise global leadership on nuclear disarmament.

Ban Ki-moon said: 

"I had the honour of being the first UN Secretary-General to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in 2010. Returning today is a sobering experience, as it is clear how little progress has been made in eliminating nuclear weapons. The nuclear threat now seems higher than during the Cold War, with an increasing number of countries showing interest in acquiring such weapons. Just as in past decades, we must build a bigger and stronger global movement to make nuclear disarmament a priority issue again in international debates."

Elders urge action from world leaders on growing nuclear threat

Juan Manuel Santos said: 

“The Elders came to Hiroshima when the nuclear threat is even more pronounced than during the Cold War. Throughout our lifetime, the nuclear taboo has persisted, but we are deeply worried that it now seems to be eroding. More countries are showing interest in developing nuclear weapons as traditional alliances and security assumptions are being upended, but a new arms race will only deepen tensions and raise risks. Given Japan's history and the suffering its people have endured, the country has a vital role to play in bolstering international support for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.”