Resolution Aiming to Achieve a "World without Nuclear Weapons" on the Occasion of the 80th Remembrance of the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
This year marks the 80th year since the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The atomic bombs, the first nuclear weapon used against humans, unforgivingly took the lives and livelihoods of so many people in an instant. Some people were burnt to nothing by the blast and heat from the atomic bomb in an instant, only leaving their shadows behind, while others tried to escape the burning city with their skins burnt from head to toe, their eyeballs popping out, and shards of glass stuck in their bodies, or were crushed by collapsed houses and burnt by the fire. Many of those who died from the atomic bombing died while they were unable to receive minimal medical treatment, or were not surrounded by their loved ones, or their whereabouts remain unknown to this day. Not only that, but the atomic bombs also spread radiation over a large area that has had an effect on future generations, damaging the bodies of those who barely survived the atomic bombing and their descendants and robbing them of their health. Furthermore, people from the bombed cities were discriminated against because of their exposure to radiation, burn scars and other reasons. The atomic bombs still continue to torment many people, including the survivors and their descendants. The victims of the atomic bombs lost not only their lives but also their human dignity.
Having witnessed the devastation brought on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, humanity was supposed to come to recognize that nuclear weapons are extremely inhumane and must never be used.
The international community has established a theory so that such inhumane weapons will never be used and that makes nuclear weapons themselves illegal. In a judgment handed down by the Tokyo District Court in the so-called "nuclear bombing lawsuit" - a lawsuit filed by atomic bomb survivors against the Japanese government seeking damages on the grounds that the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki violated international law - on December 7th, 1963, it was ruled that nuclear bombs are "cruel weapons," and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki violated the fundamental principles of the law of war. Furthermore, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion in July 1996, which states that the use of nuclear weapons is generally contrary to the principles of international humanitarian law and rules.
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons ("TPNW"), which went into effect in January 2021, makes it clear that nuclear weapons are illegal and the only way to ensure that such weapons are never to be used again is their total elimination. In December 2024, the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, whose members, including atomic bombing survivors, have made it their lifetime mission to share their horrific experiences with the bombs and advocate toward the elimination of nuclear weapons, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Countries with or depending on nuclear weapons seem to share the recognition that nuclear weapons are not to be used and must be reduced and eliminated, as confirmed in the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons ("NPT"), which came into effect in March 1970, as well as a joint statement on preventing nuclear war and avoiding arms races issued in January 2022 by the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France and China.
Despite these efforts, it is reported that there are still more than ten thousand nuclear weapons existing in the world, several thousands of which are operationally deployed. In recent years, the risk of nuclear weapons being used has become extremely high, due to reasons such as the nuclear intimidation of Russia in its invasion of Ukraine and China’s rapid expansion of its nuclear arsenal, along with rising tensions between the United States and China. We must be aware that in the present climate, the danger of nuclear weapons being used is imminent.
The illegality of nuclear weapons has been confirmed, and nuclear-weapon states (countries defined as "nuclear-weapon states" in the NPT and acknowledged as possessing nuclear weapons: the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and China) themselves acknowledge that nuclear war must be avoided. However, the justification used by such states for continuing to maintain their nuclear arsenals is the "nuclear deterrence theory" (an idea that war can be avoided by making other countries aware of a country’s intention and ability to retaliate with nuclear weapons, thereby creating a situation in which other countries hesitate to use military force against the country) or the "extended nuclear deterrence theory" (an idea that a country not possessing nuclear weapons seeks to ensure deterrence effects by relying on the nuclear weapons of its allies).
However, the nuclear deterrence theory has a high degree of uncertainty about its effectiveness. In addition, there is no sure way to avoid the risk of the accidental firing of nuclear weapons due to human or technical errors. Moreover, once deterrence fails and nuclear weapons are used, not only will it take the lives of many people, destroy their bodies, and trample on their dignity, as experienced in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but also, as the NPT and the TPNW point out, it will bring about a catastrophe to all humanity with devastating humanitarian consequences. It is inevitable that a cycle of retaliation using nuclear weapons will bring about devastating damage to the entire earth, deprive all humanity of its right to live and result in irreversible consequences. The more countries around the world adopt this theory of nuclear deterrence, the greater the possibility that catastrophic damage will be brought to the entire world with more nuclear weapons being possessed by more countries. For these reasons, the nuclear deterrence theory is an extremely uncertain and dangerous theory.
As the Norwegian Nobel Committee has pointed out, the taboo against using nuclear weapons, which has been built by citizens including atomic bomb survivors and a trend in the international community, has been under pressure in recent times, and there is no moment to spare in eliminating nuclear weapons.
It is essential that all countries sign and ratify the TPNW, and Article 6 of the NPT, which imposes obligations on the parties to the treaty to negotiate in good faith on the cessation of the nuclear arms race, nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament, be put into practice to break away from the nuclear deterrence theory and eliminate nuclear weapons from the world. Japan, the only country to have suffered atomic bombings during war, must take the initiative in addressing these challenges. In addition, it is necessary to, first of all, make the Northeast Asian region, which includes states possessing nuclear weapons (which refers to states that are nether nuclear-weapon states nor a party to the NPT, but are considered to possess nuclear weapons), such as Russia, China, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, as well as countries that rely on the U.S. nuclear umbrella, such as Japan and South Korea, a nuclear-weapon-free zone to ensure Japan’s national security.
In its "Declaration of a Call to Action Toward Achieving a World Without Nuclear Weapons" adopted at the 53rd JFBA Convention on the Protection of Human Rights held in Morioka on October 8th, 2010, the JFBA called on the Japanese government to legislate the three non-nuclear principles, work toward the denuclearization of Northeast Asia and take a strong initiative to urge other countries around the world to sign on to a multilateral nuclear weapons convention. However, even though the government claims to "play the role of building a bridge between nuclear-weapon states and non-nuclear weapon states" (according to "Japan's Efforts on Disarmament and Non-proliferation" dated September 2023 and other materials) and states that they will uphold the three non-nuclear principles, they have not yet even participated as an observer in any of the meetings of the State Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, or legislated the three non-nuclear principles. This attitude of the Japanese government cannot be described as fulfilling their role in eliminating nuclear weapons as a country that suffered atomic bombings during war. For this reason, in addition to the past calls made to the government by the JFBA for the elimination of nuclear weapons, the JFBA once again calls on the government to share serious concerns about the realization of such elimination with the world and carry out the following three measures.
1. Sign and ratify the TPNW as soon as possible.
2. Carry out efforts to put Article 6 of the NPT into practice by means such as creating a forum for dialogue between nuclear-weapon states and non-nuclear weapon states and formulating a time schedule for reducing nuclear weapons.
3. Carry out efforts toward the conclusion of a treaty to ensure Northeast Asia as a nuclear-weapon-free zone.
The JFBA, whose membership comprises attorneys, has been protesting war and calling for the elimination of nuclear weapons under the philosophy that war is the ultimate violation of human rights. Therefore, the JFBA once again calls on the Japanese government to realize the above measures as soon as possible and to work sincerely toward the elimination of nuclear weapons. The JFBA will continue to firmly oppose the existence of nuclear weapons under any international situations and once again expresses its commitment to breaking away from war forever, aiming to achieve a "world without nuclear weapons."
We resolve as above.
June 13th, 2025
Japan Federation of Bar Associations