Scientists and nuclear experts from around the world gathered in Nagasaki on Sunday to push for the abolition of nuclear arms and other weapons of mass destruction, 70 years since the U.S. atomic bombings of two Japanese cities.
Nagasaki, one of the cities devastated by an atomic bomb in World War II, is hosting for the first time the Pugwash Conference on Science and World Affairs. The conference originated from calls for such a meeting by eminent scientists — including Albert Einstein — about 60 years ago.
With the momentum toward nuclear disarmament seen to have suffered a setback after a U.N. conference on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty ended in failure in May, organizers hope once again to call attention to the inhumane nature of nuclear arms and encourage dialogue in a world plagued by conflicts.