The Asia-Pacific Leadership Network (APLN) commemorated 80 years since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with a series of short interpretive essays. We commissioned eight authors, including senior experts and next-generation scholars to contribute thoughts and analyses looking at past lessons and future pathways for a world without nuclear weapons. The essays in this volume were published as individual commentaries in August 2025.

The essays engage with the historical memory of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and identify the critical nuclear questions that the world will confront in the coming decades. Some of the essays look back at the challenging experiences faced by the authors when dealing with nuclear-related crises during their career. Each essay discusses practical steps for taking the agenda global nuclear disarmament ahead in the future.

In the inaugural essay Gareth Evans argues that the world has avoided nuclear catastrophe not through credible deterrence or reliable systems, but by sheer luck, with numerous near-misses exposing the fragility of nuclear deterrence. While rational arguments for disarmament remain essential, he contends that emotional and political drivers must also be mobilised to reignite a sense of revulsion at the horror of any form of nuclear use among the publics and policymakers.

HMGS Palihakkara highlights that the global nuclear non-proliferation regime is under severe strain, as nuclear weapon states continue to modernise their arsenals while neglecting their disarmament obligations under the NPT. Drawing on decades of personal experience in multilateral negotiations, he proposes four concrete measures to salvage the fate of the NPT ahead of its 2026 Review Conference, while also warning that continued inaction on nuclear disarmament could trigger the collapse of the entire non-proliferation regime.

Jiang Tianjiao warns that the nuclear taboo is eroding due to intensifying geopolitical rivalries, emerging disruptive technologies, and growing public tolerance for nuclear weapons. He calls for all nuclear-armed states to adopt a no-first-use policy and begin negotiations on an international treaty prohibiting the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states. Upholding this commitment is essential to preventing nuclear war and advancing global disarmament.

Monalisa Hazarika draws attention to the global hibakusha — victims of testing, mining, and radioactive contamination — whose plight has been largely ignored, revealing deep links between nuclear harm, colonialism, and systemic inequality. She advocates for urgent, inclusive action that integrates the voices of affected communities, strengthens international oversight, and addresses the interconnected challenges of nuclear security and justice.

Kim Won-soo recalls the 2002 North Korean nuclear crisis and draws key lessons from his experience as a senior diplomat for the path ahead for renewed diplomacy and denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.

Sujata Mehta warns that while the horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki established a clear “never again” principle, current global crises and casual discussions of nuclear use risk eroding the nuclear taboo. Preventing nuclear use and pursuing disarmament remains a challenge that humanity can and must address.

Ristian Atrianidi Supriyanto argues that bridging the widening divide between deterrence and disarmament camps requires acknowledging both the dangers of nuclear deterrence and the limits of disarmament, and pursuing an integrated approach to global stability.

And in the final essay, Tatsujiro Suzuki identifies four practical steps to reduce nuclear risks and advance disarmament: establishing risk-reduction dialogues among nuclear-armed states, discussing No-First-Use (NFU) policies, halting deployment of intermediate-range nuclear forces (INF), and reinforcing Negative Security Assurances (NSA) for non-nuclear weapon states.

The series is intended to offer insights to rea serve as a resource for policymakers, scholars, and the wider public committed to building a safer, nuclear-free world.

The opinions articulated in this series represent the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Asia-Pacific Leadership Network or any of its members. APLN’s website is a source of authoritative research and analysis and serves as a platform for debate and discussion among our senior network members, experts, and practitioners, as well as the next generation of policymakers, analysts, and advocates. Comments and responses can be emailed to apln@apln.network.

Image: A view of the Genbaku Dome in Hiroshima (photo by Tanvi Kulkarni).