"The atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, also known as the hibakusha, are selfless, soul-bearing witnesses of the horrific human cost of nuclear weapons," the UN secretary general said in a statement.

"It is time for world leaders to be as clear-eyed as the hibakusha, and see nuclear weapons for what they are: devices of death that offer no safety, protection, or security. The only way to eliminate the threat of nuclear weapons is to eliminate them altogether."

The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded on Friday to Japanese anti-nuclear group Nihon Hidankyo, a grassroots movement of survivors from the 1945 US bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, founded in 1956.

"While their numbers grow smaller each year, the relentless work and resilience of the hibakusha are the backbone of the global nuclear disarmament movement," Guterres said.

"The United Nations proudly stands with the hibakusha. They are an inspiration to our shared efforts to build a world free of nuclear weapons."