Author: Dr. Hussain Al-Shahristani, President of Pugwash Iraq
The 63rd Pugwash Conference was held in Hiroshima from 1 to 5 November 2025, under the theme “80 Years After the Atomic Bombing — Time for Peace, Dialogue and Nuclear Disarmament.” The conference marked three historic anniversaries simultaneously: the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the 70th anniversary of the Russell-Einstein Manifesto, and the 30th anniversary of the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Sir Joseph Rotblat and the Pugwash Conferences.
The conference brought together approximately 190 participants from around 40 countries and regions, with scientists and other experts exchanging views on nuclear disarmament and security in the Middle East, among other topics.
Members of Pugwash Iraq attended the conference, joining colleagues from across the global Pugwash network. The Pugwash Council, meeting in Hiroshima, reaffirmed the founding vision of the Pugwash Conferences — that the abolition of nuclear weapons is necessary, now more than ever — and paid tribute to the Hibakusha, the survivors and victims of the atomic bombings, whose testimony gave the conference its moral weight. The Council adopted the Hiroshima Declaration on the final day of the conference, calling for dialogue to replace confrontation and for renewed multilateral commitment to disarmament.
