In August 2022, I participated in the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Review Conference held at UN Headquarters in New York as a member of the delegation sent by the Japanese Consumers' Co-operative Union. In the previous mission, a delegation of 100 people was dispatched from Co-op Unions across Japan, but due to the pandemic, the size of the delegation this time was reduced to six (three from the Japan Co-op Association, one from Hiroshima, and two from Nagasaki). The aim of dispatching the delegation is to support the activities of four representatives of the Japan Council of A-bomb and H-bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyō), and to appeal for nuclear abolition together.
　Based on the principle of "For Peace and Better Life", Co-op is engaged in various peace activities throughout Japan. Together with hibakusha from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we appealed to the people of the world for the abolition of nuclear weapons.

　Hibakusha shared their experiences and their wish for a world without nuclear weapons so that concrete progress toward nuclear abolition could be agreed upon.
　First, at the meeting with the representative of the United Kingdom, a nuclear weapon state with which we met this time, when we were told that efforts would be made to reduce nuclear weapons, Sueichi Kido, Secretary General of the Nihon Hidankyō, expressed his strong feelings by exclaiming, "It is not enough to just reduce them; we have to make them zero."
　In the next meeting with the Austrian representative, we expressed our appreciation for the major role Austria played in the first Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), and the representative stated that he work with an understanding of the thoughts of the hibakusha.
　We also conveyed our appreciation for the efforts and contributions by the Mexican Ambassador for Disarmament Affairs. The Ambassador expressed appreciation for the activities of the hibakusha and NGOs, and reassured us that Mexico would make every effort to educate the younger generation and serve as a bridge between the government and NGOs.
　At the meeting with the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, Secretary-General Kido noted that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's speech was vague on what exactly he would do. Masako Wada, Deputy Secretary-General of the Nihon Hidankyō, said she wished he had mentioned the TPNW in his speech. Ichiro Ogasawara, Ambassador for Disarmament Affairs, gave a safe answer, saying "Prime Minister Kishida, who was elected in Hiroshima, is passionately committed to a nuclear-free world. Our goals are the same. We need to create a process for the abolition of nuclear weapons."
　During the meeting with the representatives of each country, I was impressed by the hibakusha's passion for the abolition of nuclear weapons, their unwavering words and actions, and their appeal to the world.

　Hibakusha Setsuko Thurlow was also present at the meeting with Izumi Nakamitsu, UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs. Ms. Wada, Deputy Secretary-General, expressed her gratitude to Representative Nakamitsu for her understanding words and actions in support of the hibakusha. Ms. Nakamitsu expressed her appreciation for the work of the hibakusha and their efforts to communicate the A-bomb experience and the horror of nuclear weapons. The meeting concluded with a discussion regarding the adoption of the final document at this conference and expectations for nuclear disarmament.
　At the A-bomb exhibition held in the UN lobby, the reality of the atomic bombing and the efforts of hibakusha who have been active for over 70 years were introduced through panels produced with donations from co-ops nationwide. At the opening ceremony, Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue and Hiroshima Mayor's deputy, Takashi Koizumi, Chairperson of the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation, made remarks. Secretary-General Kido then recalled the time of the atomic bombing and emphasized the inhumanity of nuclear weapons, saying, "We don't even know the remains of the victims. All the people who had lived until then were erased." Ambassador Gustavo Zlauvinen, the chairman of this Review Conference, also took to the podium and stated, "The dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the same as bombing humanity." Many people were eager to see the A-bomb exhibitions, and educators from the U.S. Marine Corps listened to the stories of the hibakusha.
　Speaking at the NGO presentations of the NPT Review Conference, Deputy Secretary-General Wada also called on "the nuclear weapon states and their allies to recognize that humanity as a whole is on the brink of nuclear war because of their disloyalty and arrogance, and to fulfill their 'clear commitments' in good faith."

　Testimonies were given at the German Peace Society, NY Office of the University of Tokyo, NY Buddhist Church, and St. John's Cathedral Chapel. A peace gathering was also held at the UN Church Center on August 6 at 8:15 a.m. Japan time, where Mayor Taue, Chairperson Koizumi, and Secretary-General Kido rang the Peace Bell and Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui's message was delivered.

　It is very unfortunate that only one country objected, and the States Parties could not reach a unanimous agreement and the final document was not adopted. However, there were also achievements as follows.
① The overwhelming majority of countries urged the nuclear weapon states to take concrete actions toward the abolition of nuclear weapons, indicating a world-wide movement toward the abolition of nuclear weapons.
② The draft final document, to which all parties except Russia did not object, is of great significance.
　What is important from now on is to recognize the results of this Conference and what has been clarified, and to organize the "roadmap" derived from these results and make it into a task that must be achieved. The major point is what Japan, the only country to have been exposed to nuclear weapons in war, will communicate to the world. I am confident that public opinion can change the attitude of the Japanese government.
　Based on the information and experiences gained from this delegation's trip, I renewed my determination to promote efforts toward nuclear abolition together with administrative agencies, the Nihon Hidankyō, the Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, and other citizens' groups.