Press Releases
International Conference in Nagasaki – towards a world free of nuclear weapons
1. From December 11 through 14, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will hold “the International Conference in Nagasaki – towards a world free of nuclear weapons” in the city of Nagasaki.
2. The conference aims at discussing ways to realize a world free of nuclear weapons with participants from around the world in the city of Nagasaki, the site of an atomic bombing, to conclude a year when the G-7 Hiroshima Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held and the visit of the Honorable Barack H. Obama, President of the United State to Hiroshima was realized. The conference will consist of a forum of Youth Communicator for a World without Nuclear Weapons where Youth Communicators will make presentations on their activities on December 11 and the United Nations Conference on Disarmament Issues from December 12 to 14.
(Reference 1）Forum of Youth Communicator for a World without Nuclear Weapons
(1) As the only country to have ever suffered atomic bombings, Japan has the mission to firmly pass on the correct understanding of the realities of nuclear weapons beyond national borders and generations.
(2) In 2013, Japanese Foreign Minister Kishida launched a program called “Youth Communicator for a World without Nuclear Weapons” with the aim of passing on the realities of atomic bombings to future generations in a time when A-Bomb survivors (Hibakushas) are aging. Since its launch, 174 young people have served as Youth Communicators.
(3) In March 2016, Japan held the 1st Youth forum in Hiroshima where Youth Communicators shared their experiences and exchanged their ideas. During the forum, FM Kishida announced an initiative of ‘Youth Communicators’ international networking as well as a plan to invite over 1,000 people to Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
(Reference 2) United Nations Conference on Disarmament Issues
(1) The United Nations Conference on Disarmament Issues (UNCDI) has been held almost every year since 1989 in various cities in Japan, and government officials and experts from around the world discuss ways towards a world free of nuclear weapons.
(2) In August 2015, the 25th UNCDI was held in Hiroshima where the participants discussed stocktaking of the 2015 NPT Review Conference, humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons, Nuclear-Weapons-Free-Zones, and the role of civil society. The conference contributed to revitalizing a global momentum for realizing a world free of nuclear weapons.