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Zia Mian argues that the danger of nuclear weapons has always been understood—even by the leaders who created them—but they continue to be valued as instruments of power. He reframes nuclear deterrence not as a stable strategy, but as a fragile relationship rooted in threat, coercion, and human psychology. While governments maintain the illusion of rational control through bureaucratic systems, the reality is far more uncertain and dangerous. Despite this, Mian emphasizes that public opinion has shifted decisively against nuclear weapons, and a majority of countries now support prohibition. The challenge, he concludes, is not winning the argument—but transforming that majority into real political power.

Kevin Martin, president of Peace Action, contrasts the failures of U.S. war-driven politics with the promise of international diplomacy at the NPT Review Conference. Highlighting growing public and political opposition to militarism, he underscores the power of sustained grassroots pressure in shifting policy. Amid rising global tensions and nuclear risks, he calls for collective action toward peace, disarmament, and justice—echoing the urgent plea: No more war, no more nuclear weapons.

Joseph Gerson warned of rising nuclear dangers, failing treaties, and global instability, stressing that the world is closer than ever to catastrophe. He emphasized that real hope lies in collective action, urging renewed commitment to a nuclear weapon-free world grounded in the lived realities of the Hibakusha.

This statement argues that the breakdown of global nuclear disarmament—driven by major powers’ threats and military strategies—has intensified the nuclear crisis, with the Korean Peninsula reflecting this broader confrontation. It highlights historical injustices, escalating tensions, and the dangers of deterrence policies, calling instead for dialogue, peace agreements, and a U.S.–DPRK non-aggression treaty as the only viable path toward denuclearization and lasting global peace.

This speech examines Sweden’s shift from a long-standing leader in neutrality and nuclear disarmament to a NATO member increasingly aligned with nuclear deterrence policy. It highlights how rapidly political consensus changed following the war in Ukraine, raising concerns about democratic debate, evolving security priorities, and the tension between Sweden’s disarmament legacy and its current role within a nuclear alliance.

Ray Acheson argues that the world is already in a nuclear arms race, driven by modernization, rising tensions, and disregard for international law by nuclear-armed states. Critiquing the failure to meet disarmament commitments under the NPT, she calls for bold, collective action beyond diplomacy—urging movements, governments, and communities to demand and actively pursue the abolition of nuclear weapons.

Speaking as a Hiroshima survivor exposed to radiation before birth, Jiro Hamasumi shares the lifelong suffering of the Hibakusha and the enduring human cost of nuclear weapons. Through personal testimony and collective memory, he calls for the total abolition of nuclear arsenals, urging the world to honor past commitments and ensure that no one ever again endures Hiroshima or Nagasaki.

Rising conflicts and expanding arsenals are increasing nuclear risks, but past movements show disarmament is possible. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons reflects global opposition and the need for collective action to eliminate nuclear weapons.