The chair of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee says he wants to send a message to all political leaders in the world that humanity and nuclear weapons cannot coexist.
Joergen Frydnes spoke to NHK in the Norwegian capital of Oslo on Friday. The committee selected Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese organization representing atomic bomb survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as this year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner.
Asked about the committee’s decision, Frydnes said the testimonies of atomic bomb survivors, known as hibakusha, have played a crucial part in building what his committee calls the “nuclear taboo.”
The term refers to an international norm that nuclear weapons are morally unacceptable and should never be used again.
Frydnes cited Russia’s threat against Ukraine, saying nuclear threats are also threats against humanity.
He warned that if the nuclear taboo is reduced, it could eventually lead to nuclear weapons being used again.
Frydnes noted that next year marks 80 years since nuclear weapons were used in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
He praised hibakusha’s efforts to ensure these weapons have not been used since as “quite the accomplishment for humankind.”
Frydnes called on world leaders to listen to hibakusha’s stories of pain and suffering. He added, “No human being should experience what they have experienced because of nuclear weapons.”