6 August 2022 marks 77 years since an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. To commemorate the day, youth from across Japan will have a heart-to-heart talk with António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, about their ideas and solutions for achieving a peaceful, more secure and sustainable world – one without nuclear weapons. The informal, in-person gathering will be held in Hiroshima in parallel with the annual Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony. The session will be livestreamed in English and Japanese via YouTube.
This is the first time the Secretary-General will attend the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony, which is held annually on 6 August.
The meeting between the Secretary-General and the youth is organized by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), the United Nations Information Centre, Tokyo (UNIC Tokyo), and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) together with Hiroshima Prefecture / Hiroshima Organization for Global Peace (HOPe).
The Secretary-General’s visit to Hiroshima comes against a backdrop of global discussions on nuclear disarmament. The First Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) was held in Vienna (21 to 23 June 2022). The TPNW entered into force on 22 January 2021. From 1 – 26 August 2022, the Tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons is taking place in New York, after being postponed from 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
What: Informal dialogue session between the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and youth in Japan who are active advocates for nuclear disarmament
When: 4:55 am – 5:40 am Saturday, 6 August 2022 (GMT) / 1:55 pm – 2:40 pm Japan Standard Time (UTC+9), 0:55 am – 1:40 am Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4) and 6:55 am – 7:40 am Central European Summer Time (UTC+2)
Where: Hiroshima, Japan
Livestreaming: The public is invited to watch on the following channels. No registration necessary.
- English: UN Web TV, YouTube at UNITAR; to be shared at #Youth4Disarmament YouTube channel
- Japanese: YouTube at UNITAR
Who: The UN Secretary-General and local youth in Japan will attend the session.
- Mr. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations
- Ms. Shizuka Kuramitsu, #Leaders4Tomorrow by UNODA’s Youth4Disarmament initiative
- Mr. Wataru Nakajima, UNITE, Former UNITAR Youth Ambassador
- Ms. Suzuka Nakamura, Co-founder and designer, KNOW NUKES TOKYO
- Mr. Kento Suzuki, Founder, Personalization Project
- Ms. Kako Okuno, Organizer, Fridays For Future Hiroshima
- Mr. Hideo Asano, A secretariat staff at the Japan NGO Network for Nuclear Weapons Abolition (Jana)
- Ms. Mary Popeo; Cofounder, Peace Culture Village
- Mr. Hidehiko Yuzaki, Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture
The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) provides innovative learning solutions to enhance global and country-level action for a better future. The Division for Prosperity, with staff in Hiroshima and Geneva, as well as field staff across the world, trains present and future change-makers from developing countries, particularly youth and women, so they may shape a more inclusive, sustainable and prosperous world.
