Only Way To End Nuclear Risk ‘Is To Eliminate Nuclear Weapons’: Guterres

UN NEWS—When “geopolitical mistrust and competition” has pushed the nuclear risk to Cold War levels, total elimination of such weapons is the only route to a peaceful future, the UN chief has said.

Secretary-General António Guterres issued his call in a statement marking the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons on Tuesday.

He warned that hard-won progress over many decades to prevent the use, spread and testing of nuclear weapons is being undone, and called for nuclear disarmament and a strengthened regime of non-proliferation.

Resurgent Threat

In the decades since the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, with all the horrific devastation and atrocious consequences that ensued, there has been some progress led by the UN – but that’s now being undone, said the UN chief.

In its very first resolution back in 1946 the UN General Assembly identified nuclear disarmament as a leading goal. Yet, today around 12,512 nuclear weapons remain.

Countries possessing such weapons have well-funded, long-term plans to modernize their nuclear arsenals.