Hiroshima Peace Memorial, Japan. UN Secretary General calls for resistance to those who “recklessly brandish the nuclear saber once again” Peace and Security
In today’s world, “some are once again recklessly brandishing the nuclear saber,” so the international community must unite and jointly condemn such behavior. This is stated in a statement by the UN Secretary General, dedicated to the 79th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
At a ceremony dedicated to the tragic date, the message from the head of the United Nations was read by the UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu.
“The world unites to mark the day when nuclear weapons devastated this city, and we intend to spare no effort to ensure that the horrors of that day are never repeated,” the message says. “We must do even more to end this threat once and for all.”
The threat of using nuclear weapons has reappeared in the everyday rhetoric of international relations, António Guterres noted. The lessons of Hiroshima, which once guided collective efforts towards disarmament and peace, have been relegated to the background.
“Any use of nuclear weapons would have catastrophic humanitarian consequences,” the Secretary-General continued. “The only way to eliminate the threats posed by nuclear weapons is to eliminate them altogether. A nuclear war cannot be won – and should never be started. We need disarmament now.”
The Future Summit next month, António Guterres recalled, will provide governments with an opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to multilateralism, sustainable development and peace and to adopt a Pact for the Future. Conflict prevention, disarmament and the rapprochement of a world free of nuclear weapons must be at the center of these efforts.
“We will never forget the lessons of August 6, 1945,” the UN Secretary-General concluded. “We must not allow another Hiroshima, we must not allow another Nagasaki.”