The Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL) expresses its deepest recognition and extends its most sincere congratulations to the Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo, awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize, for its tireless efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons by sharing the valuable testimony of the Hibakusha—survivors of the nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki—who to this day continue to raise awareness about the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of these weapons of mass destruction.
This important recognition of Nihon Hidankyo and the Hibakusha reminds us of the urgency to uphold and reaffirm our commitment to disarmament in order to ensure a world free of nuclear weapons. These principles are also the foundation of the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean—The Treaty of Tlatelolco—and of the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL).
In a global context of growing tensions and the latent risk of nuclear proliferation and use, OPANAL celebrates this achievement and reiterates its commitment to continue working tirelessly to achieve a future without nuclear weapons. This Nobel Prize is also an opportunity to intensify the international community’s efforts towards the prohibition and complete elimination of these weapons, as reflected in the first resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.
The 2024 Nobel Peace Prize joins a distinguished list of laureates who have contributed to the cause of nuclear disarmament, including Linus Carl Pauling (1962), Eisaku Satō (1974), Mexican Ambassador Alfonso García Robles along with Swedish Ambassador Alva Myrdal (1982), the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (1985), the Pugwash Conferences and Józef Rotblat (1995), the International Atomic Energy Agency (2005), and the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) in 2017.
The testimony and commitment of all these individuals and organizations, who for nearly eighty years have worked tirelessly to rid the world of the devastating power of nuclear weapons, continue to serve as a beacon of hope for the consolidation of a peaceful world and a safer future free of nuclear threats.
