2026 International Youth Nuclear Disarmament Summit

April 25, 2026 | Tower 49, 18th Floor, 12 E 49th St

On April 25, 2026, global youth delegates gathered for the International Youth Nuclear Disarmament Summit for an afternoon of dialogue on nuclear disarmament, survivor testimony, and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). The program opened with remarks from diplomats, peace organizations, and youth representatives, followed by a panel featuring Hibakusha testimony and reflections from international humanitarian and disarmament experts. A subsequent discussion focused on the relationship between the TPNW and the NPT, before participants moved into breakout sessions exploring feminist approaches to disarmament and the role of art and survivor advocacy in advancing nuclear justice.

The event was co-sponsored by the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF), its youth initiative Reverse The Trend (RTT), Soka Gakkai International, Office of Senator Marilou McPhedran of Manitoba, Hiroshima and Nagasaki Peace Messengers, Peace Boat US, Qazaq Nuclear Frontline Coalition, Youth for TPNW, and Association Katawara.

Opening Remarks

Dr. Ivana Nikolic Hughes, President, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
Senator Marilou McPhedran of Manitoba (Keynote Address)
Rinka Teramoto and Rio Shimoda, Hiroshima and Nagasaki Peace Messengers
Emilie McGlone, Executive Director, Peace Boat US
Hayato Sadavrati, Soka Gakkai International

Testimonies by Hibakusha and Panel Discussion

Facilitator: Kenneth Chiu, Communications and Media Coordinator, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
Veronique Christory, Senior Arms Adviser, International Committee of the Red Cross (UN Delegation)
Hideto Matsuura, Hibakusha, Executive Board Member of Nihon Hidankyo (with translation by Daiki Katsukawa)
Tadako Kawazoe, Hibakusha, Secretary General, A-bomb Victim Liaison Council of Nagasaki Peace Action Center (with translation by Daiki Katsukawa)

TPNW and NPT: Universalization and Complementarity Panel

Facilitator: Mohammed Alkurashi, NAPF – RTT Youth Representative and RTT Advisor
Seth Shelden, General Counsel and UN Liaison, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons
Gloria Bozyigit, Second Secretary, Disarmament and International Security, Austria
David Gaillot, Youth for TPNW

Breakout Sessions

A Feminist Approach to Nuclear Disarmament and Arms Control

Facilitator: Anduin DeVos, Outreach Coordinator, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
Yulianna Acuna, NAPF – RTT Youth Adviser
Sarah Rohleder, NAPF – RTT Canada Youth Coordinator
Rooj Ali, NAPF – RTT Canada Youth Coordinator
Stella Rose, NAPF – RTT Youth Representative

Discussion: gender representation in disarmament forums, allyship with men, definitions of empowerment, pathways to supporting young women leaders, and institutional change.

Survivors, Allies, and the Role of Art in Addressing the Legacy of Nuclear Weapons

Facilitator: Siyand Dai, Peace Boat US Youth Representative
Christian N. Ciobanu, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (overview of nuclear justice at the UN)
Yerdaulet Rakhmatulla, Qazaq Nuclear Frontline Coalition (video statement)
Dr. Anaïs Maurer, author, The Ocean on Fire: Pacific Stories from Nuclear Survivors
Maverick Peter Seda, Ploughshares-Horizon 2045 Nuclear Futures Fellow and RTT Pacific Coordinator

Discussion: survivor–ally collaboration, use of the arts in communicating nuclear harm, and advancing nuclear justice ahead of the NPT Review Conference.