Atomic cloud over Hiroshima 2 minutes after the explosion. Stop the madness: UN calls for the complete elimination of nuclear weapons Peace and security
Nuclear weapons do not provide real security or stability – only danger and constant threats to the existence of humanity. This was warned by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during a high-level meeting dedicated to the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, which is marked on September 26.
“The brandishing of the nuclear club has reached its apogee,” the UN chief warned. “We are even hearing threats to use nuclear weapons.”
“I call on the Russian Federation and the United States to return to the process of reducing nuclear weapons,” the Secretary-General said, stressing that the leadership of these two countries is crucial to preventing a new arms race. “Other nuclear-weapon states should follow suit in due course,” he noted.
According to the UN chief, nuclear weapons are “doubly insane.” First, it is insane that weapons exist that can destroy entire nations in an instant. Second, according to Guterres, it is insane that, despite the existential risks, the world has not come any closer to eliminating these weapons in the past ten years.
He noted that the international community is “moving in completely the wrong direction.” The Secretary-General called on nuclear-weapon States to honour their commitments and urgently move towards disarmament.
He recalled that just a few days ago, the Pact for the Future was signed at the Future Summit, and that “the overwhelming majority of Member States support the goal of the total elimination of nuclear weapons,” which has been enshrined in UN resolutions since 1946.
Guterres called for collective action to make the world a safer place for future generations.
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