Nobel Peace Prize 2024 awarded to Nihon Hidankyo for efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons

The Nobel Peace Prize 2024 has been awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese organisation founded by atomic bomb survivors. The Nobel Committee recognised their efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons, especially in light of growing international tensions involving nuclear threats.

Founded in 1956, Nihon Hidankyo is a grassroots movement representing survivors of the atomic bombings, known as “hibakusha.” These survivors advocate for nuclear disarmament, often through personal testimonies that illustrate the catastrophic human consequences of nuclear warfare. Their work has been instrumental in shaping global perceptions of nuclear weapons as morally unacceptable.

The award comes at a critical time, as the risk of nuclear conflict has been brought into sharp focus by the war in Ukraine and escalating tensions in the Middle East. The Nobel Committee expressed concern about the erosion of the so-called nuclear taboo, with several nuclear-armed states modernising their arsenals and new countries attempting to acquire such weapons. “The message of the hibakusha is a stark reminder to world leaders of the unacceptable nature of nuclear weapons,” the Committee stated.

Nihon Hidankyo’s chairman, Toshiyuki Mimaki, responded to the announcement at a press conference in Hiroshima. He emphasised that the Nobel Prize would give a “significant boost” to their mission, adding, “The abolition of nuclear weapons is not only necessary but achievable.”

The official Nobel Prize ceremony will be held on 10 December.

^{Tomoyuki Mimaki, representative director of the Nihon Hidankyo, attends a press conference after the group was awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize © STR / JIJI PRESS / AFP}