25-04-2025
Hiroshima group releases annual nuclear disarmament report evaluating 34 countries
HIROSHIMA -- Amid rising risks of nuclear weapons use around the world, a coalition made up of public and private sector peace groups in Hiroshima Prefecture has released the 2024 edition of the "Hiroshima Report," which independently evaluates countries' nuclear disarmament efforts.
The report, published every year since 2013, marks its 13th edition and is intended for use at international conferences and by research institutions. The Hiroshima Organization for Global Peace (HOPe) headed by Hiroshima Gov. Hidehiko Yuzaki commissioned The Japan Institute of International Affairs based in Tokyo for the project, in which around 20 researchers and nongovernmental group members evaluated 34 countries including nuclear powers on 78 items in three areas: nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear security. The report is available in both Japanese and English.
The latest edition released April 18 analyzes that, "Amid Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine and escalating regional tensions, the risks of nuclear weapons use has been growing." While mentioning the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo), the report states that "efforts to prevent the further deterioration of the nuclear situation were unsuccessful."
According to the report, the estimated total number of nuclear weapons in the world as of January 2024 was 12,121. While the global stockpile is gradually decreasing, countries such as China, India and Pakistan are increasing their arsenals. Among the five major nuclear-weapon states, the nuclear disarmament rankings were, from highest to lowest, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, China and Russia -- unchanged from the previous year.
Regarding China, which is believed to possess around 500 nuclear warheads, the report notes that it is "the only NWS (nuclear-weapon state) that has not implemented substantial nuclear disarmament measures." Touching on the fact that the pace of increase has been accelerating, the report states that China "would possess over 1,000 operational nuclear weapons within the next decade."
Russia, ranked lowest, was criticized for its ongoing invasion of Ukraine and repeated nuclear threats. The report says Moscow "is estimated to possess around 5,600 nuclear warheads and has been actively modernizing its ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles)."
On Israel, which continues military operations in the Gaza Strip, the report states: "Israel is believed to possess around 90 nuclear warheads but has consistently maintained a policy of 'nuclear opacity,'" and "there are many uncertainties surrounding its nuclear capabilities and posture."
The report calls out Japan for its non-signatory status to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and states that the country "has increased its reliance on extended nuclear deterrence."
Hiroshima Gov. Yuzaki told a press conference April 18, "The Nobel Peace Prize was a remarkable achievement that raised international momentum toward nuclear abolition. However, there has been little progress in nuclear disarmament. The Japanese government is urged to reiterate the inhumane nature of nuclear weapons."
(Japanese original by Satoshi Kawahara, Hiroshima Bureau)
