UN Secretary-General António Guterres congratulated the Japanese anti-nuclear weapons organization Nihon Hidankyo which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday.
The grassroots movement of survivors of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, known as hibakusha, is committed to achieving a nuclear-free world.
Mr. Guterres described the hibakusha as "selfless, soul-bearing witnesses of the horrific human cost of nuclear weapons."
Although their numbers grow smaller each year, their relentless work and resilience are the "backbone" of the global nuclear disarmament movement, he added.
The Secretary-General said he will never forget his many meetings with the hibakusha over the years.
A global inspiration
"Their haunting living testimony reminds the world that the nuclear threat is not confined to history books. Nuclear weapons remain a clear and present danger to humanity, once again appearing in the daily rhetoric of international relations," he said.
"It is time for world leaders to be as clear-eyed as the hibakusha, and see nuclear weapons for what they are: devices of death that offer no safety, protection, or security. The only way to eliminate the threat of nuclear weapons is to eliminate them altogether."
He said the UN proudly stands with the hibakusha who "are an inspiration to our shared efforts to build a world free of nuclear weapons.
