Timor-Leste Attends 81st Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony, Joins Global Renewal of Commitment to Nuclear Disarmament

Hiroshima City — 6th August 2026

Counselor Celio Moniz, representing the Embassy of Timor-Leste in Japan, attended the 81st Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. The ceremony brought together approximately 50,000 participants, including hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors), bereaved families, diplomatic representatives from around 120 countries and regions, international organizations, and senior Japanese government officials.

The ceremony featured a moment of silence at 8:15 a.m., marking the exact time the atomic bomb was dropped over the city in 1945, followed by floral tributes at the Cenotaph for the Atomic Bomb Victims.

The programme also included the reading of the Peace Declaration and a series of messages from dignitaries reaffirming the global commitment to peace and nuclear disarmament.

In her address, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reaffirmed Japan's commitment to a world free of nuclear weapons, to be pursued through international dialogue, cooperation, and the framework of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

In a message delivered on his behalf, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the threat of nuclear war remains real, urging all nations to strengthen peace, dialogue, and cooperation so that nuclear weapons have no place in humanity's future.

He further paid tribute to the hibakusha for their enduring advocacy for peace, whose testimony continues to serve as a vital reminder of the human cost of nuclear war for generations to come.