Nobel Peace Prize 2024 awarded to Nihon Hidankyo for a world without nuclear weapons

In a global context marked by conflict, the Nobel Committee honors the Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo for its efforts to promote peace. While the war in Ukraine and tensions in the Middle East continue to cause concern, Nihon Hidankyo was honored on October 11 for its commitment to a world free of nuclear weapons. The committee praised their work and their vital role in raising awareness of the horror of nuclear weapons, stating that their testimony clearly demonstrates that these weapons must never be used.

A tribute to the survivors of the atomic bombings

The award also highlights the survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, who, despite their suffering, choose to use their painful experiences to promote peace and hope. The Norwegian Nobel Committee pays tribute to their resilience and dedication.

A symbolic anniversary

The year 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the nuclear explosions that devastated Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing around 120,000 people and leaving a comparable number of victims from injuries and radiation. To mark the occasion, the committee points out that it has been almost 80 years since nuclear weapons have been used in war, and recalls the increasing efforts of the nuclear powers to improve their arsenals. On this occasion, the committee underlines the fact that it has been almost 80 years since any nuclear weapon was used in wartime, while recalling the increasing efforts of the nuclear powers to improve their arsenals, despite their responsibility to prevent proliferation.

Alert to contemporary nuclear threats

Current tensions, particularly those between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-Un, are a reminder of the need for heightened vigilance. The Chairman of the Nobel Committee, Jørgen Watne Frydnes, expressed his concern at the pressure on the “taboo” of nuclear weapons use, saying that we must bear in mind the unparalleled destructiveness of these weapons.

A crucial prize in a tumultuous world

Despite suggestions that the Nobel Peace Prize should not be awarded this year due to the high number of armed conflicts, the committee believes that the award is “perhaps more important than ever”. In 2024, Nihon Hidankyo was chosen from 286 nominations.

A variety of recipients in 2024

This year’s Nobel season featured mostly Anglo-Saxon recipients, several of whom were rewarded for their work in artificial intelligence. The medicine prize went to American researchers Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun, while the physics Nobel honored Geoffrey Hinton and John Hopfield for their significant contributions to machine learning. In literature, South Korean writer Han Kang was the only non-Western recipient of the prize to date.

Nobel celebration

The Nobel Prizes, which include a diploma, a gold medal and a monetary award of 11 million Swedish crowns (around 970,000 euros), will be formally presented at a ceremony scheduled for December 10.