IPPNW World Congresses are important opportunities for health professionals, medical students, and activists to share information and strategies related to the abolition of nuclear weapons and the prevention of armed violence. World Congresses are hosted by national IPPNW affiliates, who share responsibility with the Federation’s leadership for developing the program and handling all the logistics. Affiliates interested in hosting a future World Congress should submit proposals to the Executive Committee.
The first IPPNW Congress was held in 1981, at Airlie House in Virginia, USA.
Stay tuned for details on our 25th World Congress.
IPPNW’s 24th World Congress, Nagasaki, Japan, 2-4 October 2025
IPPNW’s 24th World Congress in Nagasaki, Japan from October 2nd-4th marked the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with an unparalleled opportunity to reflect on the devastating consequences of nuclear weapons and to recommitment to global efforts toward disarmament. The Nagasaki Declaration reaffirmed these commitments to diplomacy and peace in the face of disturbing global trends.
“As physicians, we understand that we must prevent what we cannot cure, and nuclear war is a catastrophe from which there will be no recovery. We join our voices with those of the Hibakusha here in Nagasaki in calling for action for a more peaceful world and the prevention of nuclear war as an absolute imperative requiring the elimination of nuclear weapons.”
Read the full declaration here.
Chronological list of past Congresses, with links to Congress statements:
1. Airlie,Virginia, USA — 1981 [Congress statement]
2. Cambridge, United Kingdom — 1982 [Congress statement]
3. Amsterdam, Netherlands — 1983 [Congress statement]
4. Espoo/Helsinki, Finland — 1984 [Congress statement]
5. Budapest, Hungary — 1985 [Congress statement]
6. Cologne, Germany — 1986 [Congress statement]
7. Moscow, Russia — 1987 [Congress statement]
8. Montreal, Canada — 1988 [Congress statement]
9. Hiroshima/Nagasaki, Japan — 1989 [Congress statement]
10. Stockholm, Sweden — 1991 [Congress statement]
11. Mexico City, Mexico — 1993
12. Worcester, Massachusetts, USA — 1996
13. Melbourne, Australia — 1998 [Congress statement]
14. Paris, France — 2000 [Congress statement]
15. Washington D.C., USA — 2002 [Congress statement]
16. Beijing, China — 2004 [Congress statement]
17. Helsinki, Finland — 2006 [Congress statement]
18. New Delhi, India — 2008 [Congress statement]
19. Basel, Switzerland — 2010 [Congress statement]
20. Hiroshima, Japan — 2012 [Congress statement]
21. Astana, Kazakhstan — 2014 [Congress statement]
22. York, United Kingdom — 2017 [Congress statement]
23. Mombasa, Kenya — 2023 [Congress statement]
24. Nagasaki, Japan — 2025 [Congress statement]