UN Chief Renews Nuclear Disarmament Appeal on Hiroshima Anniversary

DID Press: António Guterres marked the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima by renewing his call for a world free of nuclear weapons, while once again refraining from explicitly naming the United States as the country that carried out the 1945 attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

In his commemorative message, the United Nations Secretary-General honored the victims of the atomic bombing and highlighted the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons, urging the international community to intensify efforts toward global nuclear disarmament.

Guterres said the world must move toward a safer and more sustainable future by eliminating weapons of mass destruction. However, as in previous years, he did not directly identify the United States as the nation responsible for the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

According to historical estimates, the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945 killed between 70,000 and 100,000 people on the first day alone. By the end of that year, the death toll had risen to approximately 140,000 due to injuries and radiation exposure, with the cumulative number of victims increasing further in subsequent years.

Guterres stressed that the memory of those who perished should inspire renewed international commitment to preventing the recurrence of such tragedies through strengthened cooperation and progress toward nuclear disarmament.

The Secretary-General’s decision not to explicitly reference the United States’ role in the atomic bombings has continued to draw criticism from some observers, who argue that omitting the identity of the state responsible raises questions about historical accountability and the impartiality of international institutions. Others note that UN commemorative statements have traditionally focused on the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons and the broader objective of preventing their future use.