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The statement notes that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the horrific atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
“We solemnly remember and honor all hibakusha, who have suffered the unimaginable pain as a result of such inhumane weapons,” reads the statement. "We celebrate Nihon Hidankyo for receiving the latest Nobel Peace Prize, and for their unending leadership and courage in ushering in a world without nuclear weapons.”
The statement urges tangible progress toward nuclear disarmament.
“As people of faith, we pray,” the text reads. “We pray that nuclear weapons will never be used again.”
The statement also notes that many courageous individuals of faith, have stood up against nuclear weapons because they truly believed that their faith demanded such actions.
“And this is why we, as faith communities, are again uniting our voices today,” the text reads. “We stand in solidarity with victims and survivors, recognizing the deep suffering of hibakusha, Indigenous communities impacted by nuclear testing, and all who have borne the brunt of the nuclear arms race.”
The statement also suggests strengthening the norms against nuclear weapons.
“The future of humanity is a world without nuclear weapons,” the text reads. “We are here today, because of this shared vision, and we cannot be complacent as our world is heading toward its destruction.”
In addition to this statement, inter faith actors at the MSP also made a call to action through a side event, “Interfaith, Intergenerational, and Inter-sectoral Dialogue on the Moral Imperatives to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons.”
In conjunction with the Third Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, both the statement and the side event underscored the incompatibility of nuclear deterrence with the protection of human life, dignity, and the planet.
Speakers at the side event highlighted the catastrophic humanitarian and environmental risks posed by nuclear weapons as well as the moral, ethical, and religious imperative for their prohibition, as enshrined in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, to ensure a future defined by peace and sacred, shared human flourishing.
The event was sponsored by Religions for Peace International, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, and African Council of Religious Leaders—Religions for Peace.
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which entered into force in 2021, is a legal instrument that categorically prohibits nuclear weapons.
However, major nuclear-armed states and their allies have yet to join, necessitating further efforts to universalize and strengthen the norm against nuclear weapons.
Panel speakers and participants at the side event discussed the widespread lack of understanding about the far-reaching humanitarian and environmental consequences of nuclear weapons.
They also addressed the inadequacy of national legal frameworks to address the transnational risks posed by nuclear weapons. Faith leaders shared ideas of how to amplify the voices of survivors and Indigenous communities impacted by nuclear contamination.
Speakers also provided ideas on how religious institutions, with their networks of humanitarian organizations, can advocate for the redirection of military spending toward social and environmental wellbeing.
Learn more about the WCC work on arms control and disarmament
WCC Commission of the Churches on International Affairs
