On August 6, 2020, the 75^th year since the atomic bombing, the Peace Memorial Ceremony organized by the City of Hiroshima was held in the city's Peace Memorial Park. Approximately eight hundred participants, including hibakusha, bereaved families and guests, prayed for the souls of those who lost their lives and for perpetual world peace.
　To prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, preventative measures were taken for the ceremony this year, including the placing of visitors' seats two meters apart, no non-reserved seats, and the expansion of the area where entry is restricted for a set period of time including before and after the ceremony, to prevent crowding.
　The ceremony started at 8am. First, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui and two representatives of the bereaved families dedicated two volumes of the Register of the Names of the Fallen Atomic Bomb Victims, containing the names of the 4,943 people who passed away over the past year, to the shrine in the Memorial Cenotaph for the Atomic Bomb Victims. This brings the total number of names recorded in the Register to 324,129 people, in 119 volumes.
　This was followed by an address by Mr. Haruo Yamada, Chairperson of the Hiroshima City Council, and a dedication of flowers by various representatives. At 8:15am, the time that the bomb was dropped, Mr. Toshinobu Matsuki, the representative of the bereaved families, and Minami Takemiya, the children's representative, rang the Peace Bell, and all participants observed a minute of silent prayer.
　Mayor Matsui then read out the Peace Declaration. In the Declaration, the Mayor said that humanity is now facing the new threat of the novel coronavirus, but that we should be able to overcome this threat using what we have learned from the past tragedies. The Mayor gave the examples of the 1918 flu pandemic that occurred a century ago and the two World Wars to state that civic society must not resort to self-centered nationalism but must work in solidarity to face this threat. Mayor Matsui then quoted: a hibakusha who was thirteen years old at the time of the bombing, who said "Fighting happens when people think only of themselves or their own countries"; the Pope's powerful message from when he visited the areas affected by the atomic bombs in November last year: "To remember, to journey together, to protect. These are three moral imperatives"; and Sadako Ogata, who worked passionately for refugees as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, who spoke of her own experience saying "The important thing is to save the lives of those who are suffering. No country can live in peace alone. The world is connected." The Mayor stated that these words indicate that we should unite against threats to humanity, to ensure that we do not repeat the tragedies of the past.
　Mayor Matsui also said that the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) are both critical for the elimination of nuclear weapons. He said that although they form a framework that should definitely be continued in the next generation, their future is unclear. He asked that the leaders of the world visit Hiroshima, to gain a deep understanding of the actual damage from the atomic bombing. He asked that, at the NPT Review Conference to be held next year, they devote all their efforts and fulfill their duty to negotiate in good faith for nuclear disarmament, while continuing constructive dialogue, to build a security regime that is not dependent on nuclear weapons.
　The Mayor also made a strong appeal to the Japanese government. He asked that it heeds the sincere wish of the hibakusha that it signs and ratifies the TPNW and becomes a party to the treaty. He also asked that, as the only nation to have suffered nuclear attacks in war, the government calls for solidarity among the people of the world to share the Spirit of Hiroshima. Furthermore, he demanded enhanced support measures for the hibakusha, whose average age is now over 83, and the many others whose daily lives are beset by suffering from the radiation that has impacted them both physically and emotionally. He also demanded that the government make the political decision to expand the "black rain areas".
　After the Peace Declaration, the children’s representatives Shunsuke Omori and Natsumi Nagakura read out the Commitment to Peace. They said that their normal life was taken from them by the threat of the novel coronavirus, and made them realize that they should not take their daily life for granted. They said that this experience made them think about daily life for citizens at the time, taken from them by one atomic bomb on August 6, 1945. They said "We will continue to hold in our hearts the kindness to recognize the value in others. We will build a peaceful future where we consider the feelings of others and live joyfully in peace. We, raised in the atomic bombed city of Hiroshima, will bring hope to the future; the same hope that was passed to us by those who refused to give up in the wake of the bombing."
　In the speeches that followed, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that in the current tough security environment and with the disparity in the stance of nation-states towards nuclear disarmament, it is necessary to remove distrust through mutual engagement and dialogue, and continue with efforts to build a common foundation. He also said that in this year that marks the 50^th anniversary of the entry into force of the NPT, for the treaty to continue to play a role in supporting the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime, it will be important to ensure that next year's NPT Review Conference produces fruitful results. The Prime Minister also stated that the Japanese government will continue to make a proactive contribution, by lobbying the world's nations to continue with united initiatives and utilizing the results of discussions on nuclear disarmament by the Group of Eminent Persons for Substantive Advancement of Nuclear Disarmament.
　At the ceremony this year, video messages from seventeen people were projected on a large screen. They included messages from heads of state and national representatives, heads of local governments, secretaries-general of international organizations and others.
　In his message, Antonio Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General, indicated his awareness of the tough current international situation regarding the abolition of nuclear weapons, and repeatedly called for UN member states to return to the common vision and the path that will lead to the complete abolition of nuclear weapons. He stated that now is the time for nuclear weapons states to participate in dialogue, confidence-building measures, the reduction of nuclear power, and the utmost restraint. The secretary-general also said that at next year's NPT Review Conference there will be an opportunity for signatories to return to the shared vision, and he expressed that he is looking forward to the entry into force of the TPNW, as a further pillar of the disarmament regime. He also said that young people have proved their power many times, working together with civic society for the cause of disarmament. He said that we should listen to the ideas of young people and ensure that they have a forum to make their voices heard.
　Participating in the ceremony were representatives of bereaved families from 26 prefectures, as well as ambassadors and representatives from 83 states including the European Union (EU) and the nuclear weapon states of America, the United Kingdom, France and Russia.
　The ceremony was live-streamed online. The full texts of the Peace Declaration and the Commitment to Peace that were read out at the ceremony are available on the City of Hiroshima homepage. The Peace Declaration is also available in 9 other languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish).