SGI Calls for No First Use of Nuclear Weapons and the Establishment of a Nuclear War Prevention Center Ahead of Its 50th Anniversary
Hibakusha share their testimonies at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum in Oslo on December 11, 2024. Organized by the Norwegian Nobel Institute, the forum was cosponsored by Soka Gakkai International and other organizations.
Between 1983 and 2022, commemorating the founding of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI), SGI President Daisaku Ikeda (1928–2023) issued 40 annual peace proposals that addressed key global challenges. Following Mr. Ikeda’s passing in 2023, the SGI established a Global Perspectives Committee, including SGI leaders engaged in peace activities throughout the world—the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, Africa, North America and Latin America—to continue Daisaku Ikeda’s legacy by periodically issuing statements that develop ideas put forward by him in statements and peace proposals aimed at raising awareness and fostering global action for resolving major global issues.
In advance of its 50th anniversary, the SGI has released the first of such statements, titled “Preventing the Use of Nuclear Weapons as a Step toward a Peaceful World,” highlighting two urgent proposals: the establishment of pledges of No First Use of nuclear weapons and the creation of a nuclear war prevention center.
Building on the legacy of SGI President
Ikeda, the statement underscores the need for immediate steps to prevent any
use of nuclear weapons, at a time of ongoing global conflicts and persistent
tensions. While complete elimination of nuclear weapons remains the goal, it
emphasizes the importance of taking urgent measures to reduce the risk of their
use.
The SGI statement calls on the five
nuclear-weapon states that are signatories to the Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)—the United States, Russia, the
United Kingdom, France and China—to initiate dialogue aimed at achieving
agreement on pledges of No First Use “as a first step in placing explicit
limits on nuclear weapons as weapons that must never be used.”
The statement reads: “Even if it is not
possible to eliminate these deadly weapons immediately, if countries stop
confronting others with weapons in hand as it were, ready for use at all times,
they can start to break free from the current state of constant, mutual
threat.”
It urges that upcoming meetings of the
states parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) and
the NPT must revive the “nuclear taboo” and discuss ways of moving toward
agreements regarding No First Use.
SGI Director General for Peace and Global
Issues Hirotsugu Terasaki comments:
“Policies of No First Use would necessitate rethinking national security frameworks and it would be crucial to develop systemic measures and assurances to alleviate nations’ fears and concerns. In this regard, SGI proposes establishing a nuclear war prevention center staffed by military and political experts who could quickly identify critical situations and take measures toward de-escalation.”
The SGI statement also emphasizes the need
for heightened diplomatic efforts and humanitarian cooperation in response to
ongoing crises, including the conflict in Ukraine and use of armed force in the
Middle East, including in Gaza. It strongly calls for an immediate cessation of
hostilities and urges the international community to intensify efforts to this
end.
The SGI statement finishes by stressing the
importance of continued grassroots advocacy and the empowerment of youth to
engage in peacebuilding efforts. It concludes, “We commit ourselves to the work
of building a grand network of solidarity, ordinary citizens dedicated to
realizing the ‘greatest gift we can offer the future’—a world free from the
scourge of nuclear weapons.”
The Soka Gakkai International (SGI) has been registered as an NGO in consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council since 1983.
(Adapted from a press release of the Soka Gakkai International Office of Public Information dated January 15, 2025)
