During his speech, Guterres said fears of a nuclear war still exist today, and it remains the highest priority for the United Nations. Mayor of Nagasaki, Tomihisa Taue, at the same ceremony called on the Japanese government to join the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons treaty in order to lead a nuclear-free world. Japan, the only country to suffer atomic bombings, did not take part in U.N. negotiations on the treaty, saying such talks without nuclear-armed countries participating would not contribute to bringing about a world without nuclear weapons.
