Nagasaki seeks to warn of ‘nuclear taboo' in annual message
The drafting committee for this year's Nagasaki Peace Declaration meets in the city on May 10. (Yuta Kayaba)
NAGASAKI—As the city prepares to mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing in three months, a committee planning the annual peace message wants to incorporate the term "nuclear taboo."
'It is essential to send a strong message to all nations, including those currently involved in conflicts,' said Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki, who chairs the drafting committee for this year's Nagasaki Peace Declaration.
The committee held its first meeting on May 10. It has 15 members, including survivors of the 1945 U.S. nuclear attack on the city, as well as scholars and other experts.
During the meeting, members discussed including references to the Nobel Peace Prize awarded last year to the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo), particularly highlighting the Nobel Committee's emphasis on the moral 'taboo' against nuclear weapons.
In addition to condemning the use of nuclear weapons, several committee members advocated for a taboo against possessing any at all.
There was also a proposal to include remarks made by the late Pope Francis during his visit to Nagasaki in 2019, honoring his message of peace and disarmament.
The committee also expressed growing concern over the recent tensions between India and Pakistan—both nuclear powers—with one member warning of the potential for uncontrollable escalation.
The panel will meet twice more in the coming months before finalizing the statement.
Suzuki announced at a news conference on May 8 that Nagasaki plans to invite officials from Russia and Israel to the upcoming peace ceremony. Russia has not been invited since 2022 due to the war in Ukraine, while Israel was excluded from the 2024 guest list amid the conflict in Gaza.
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