Almost 80 years after the destruction of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, nuclear weapons still represent a clear and present danger to global peace and security, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council Monday. Calling for disarmament now, he urged States with nuclear arsenals to lead the way across six areas for action that include dialogue and accountability.<\/p>\n
\u201cNuclear weapons are the most destructive weapons ever invented, capable of eliminating all life on earth. Today, these weapons are growing in power, range and stealth. An accidental launch is one mistake, one miscalculation, one rash act away,\u201d he warned. The meeting on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation was convened by Japan, Security Council president for March and, as Guterres noted, the only country that knows better than any other \u201cthe brutal cost of nuclear carnage.\u201d It was being held at a time \u201cwhen geopolitical tensions and mistrust have escalated the risk of nuclear warfare to its highest point in decades.\u201d He said the Doomsday Clock \u2013 the symbol for humanity\u2019s proximity to self-destruction \u2013 \u201cis ticking loudly enough for all to hear\u201d. Meanwhile, academics and civil society groups, to Pope Francis, youth, and the survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, known as Hibakusha, have been clamouring for peace and an end to the existential threat. Even the Oscar-winning Hollywood film Oppenheimer \u201cbrought the harsh reality of nuclear doomsday to vivid life for millions around the world,\u201d he said, adding that \u201chumanity cannot survive a sequel\u201d. Despite these appeals for the world to step back from the brink, \u201cStates possessing nuclear weapons are absent from the table of dialogue,\u201d he said, while \u201cinvestments in the tools of war are outstripping investments in the tools of peace.\u201d Guterres stressed that disarmament is the only path to \u201cvanquish this senseless and suicidal shadow, once and for all.\u201d He appealed to States armed with nuclear weapons to take the lead in six areas, starting with re-engaging in dialogue to develop transparency and confidence-building measures to prevent any use of a nuclear weapon. \u201cSecond, nuclear saber-rattling must stop,\u201d he said. \u201cThreats to use nuclear weapons in any capacity are unacceptable.\u201d Nuclear weapon States must also re-affirm moratoria on nuclear testing, which includes pledging to avoid actions that would undermine the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), whose entry-into-force must be priority. On 26 November 2023, campaigners in New York joined people all around the world on the Global Day of Action against nuclear weapons. Furthermore, disarmament commitments must become action, together with accountability, under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The landmark accord, signed more than 50 years ago, is the only binding commitment to the goal of disarmament by States which officially stockpile nuclear weapons. The Secretary-General also highlighted the need for a joint first-use agreement. \u201cNuclear weapon States must urgently agree that none of them will be the first to use nuclear weapons. As a matter of fact, none should use them in any circumstances,\u201d he said. Finally, he called for reductions in the number of nuclear weapons. In this regard, he urged the United States and Russia \u2013 the world\u2019s largest nuclear weapons holders \u2013 to take the lead and also find a way back to negotiations towards the full implementation of the New START Treaty and agree on its successor. Guterres also pointed to the responsibility of non-nuclear weapon States to fulfil their own non-proliferation obligations and to support disarmament efforts. He said the Security Council also has a leadership role, including \u201cto look beyond today\u2019s divisions, and state clearly that living with the existential threat of nuclear weapons is unacceptable.\u201d Robert Floyd, head of the organization overseeing the CTBT, also briefed the Council on the treaty\u2019s impact and the need to push further. \u201cA lot has changed since I was last here in 2021. But one thing hasn\u2019t changed \u2013 the case for the CTBT\u2019s entry into force,\u201d he said. The treaty prescribes a global network of 337 monitoring facilities to detect any significant explosion anywhere on Earth almost immediately and envisions more verification tools. It has been signed by 197 States and ratified by 178. However, entry into force requires signing and ratification by 44 specific nuclear technology holding States, eight of which have yet to ratify: China, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan and the United States. Last year, nuclear holder Russia, which had signed and ratified the CTBT, announced that it had revoked ratification. Japan\u2019s Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, who chaired the meeting, stated that the catastrophes of Hiroshima and Nagasaki must never be repeated. Although the international community has become even more divided over how to advance nuclear disarmament, \u201cnevertheless, we must steadily advance realistic and practical efforts toward a world without nuclear weapons,\u201d she said. She warned that a rapid build-up of nuclear capabilities by certain countries could spark a nuclear arms race. \u201cRussia\u2019s nuclear threats, let alone any use of nuclear weapons in the context of the situation in Ukraine, are absolutely unacceptable,\u201d she said, while urging the country to return to full implementation of the New START treaty. The Foreign Minister voiced Japan\u2019s strong hope for dialogue leading to the development of a broader framework of arms control that covers a wider range of weapon systems with appropriate governance. She pointed to North Korea, which tested another ballistic missile on Sunday. \u201cSuch activities by North Korea threaten the peace and stability of the region and international community. It is totally unacceptable. Moreover, there is a possibility of further provocations, including a nuclear weapons test,\u201d she said. Kamikawa stressed that in this context, the role of the Security Council\u2019s DPRK sanctions committee and panel of experts is critically important and needs to be maintained. Turning to other matters, she noted that \u201cwith no clear outlook in resolving Iran\u2019s nuclear issue, restraint by countries concerned, including Iran, is necessary, particularly in light of the current heightened tension in the Middle East.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Almost 80 years after the destruction of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, nuclear weapons still represent a clear and present danger to global peace and security, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council Monday. Calling for disarmament now, he urged States with nuclear arsenals to lead the way across six areas for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":323552,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[6],"tags":[3218],"class_list":{"0":"post-394786","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world","8":"tag-antonio-guterres"},"yoast_head":"\n