The UN chief sees geopolitical tensions at a new high.
(Photo: AP)
new York In view of numerous crises worldwide, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned of the increasing risk of nuclear annihilation. The world is in a “time of nuclear danger not seen since the height of the Cold War,” Guterres said on Monday at the start of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference in New York.
“Humanity is in danger of forgetting the lessons forged in the terrible fires of Hiroshima and Nagasaki,” Guterres warned. The world is just one misunderstanding or miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation.
The 1970 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons aims to prevent nuclear proliferation, promote nuclear disarmament and promote the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. 191 countries have joined the agreement – including the USA, China, Russia, France and Great Britain. A review is planned every five years to determine the extent to which the goals of the Non-Proliferation Treaty have been met.
The tenth review conference was supposed to take place in 2020, but was postponed due to the corona pandemic. Foreign ministers should also speak at the start on Monday. The conference runs until August 26th.
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Guterres said on Monday that geopolitical tensions had reached a new high – citing Russia’s war against Ukraine, conflicts in the Middle East, the Korean Peninsula and crises with “nuclear overtones”. “Competition trumps cooperation and collaboration. Distrust has replaced dialogue. Disunity has replaced disarmament.”
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Eliminating nuclear weapons is the only guarantee that they will never be used. This goal must be worked tirelessly towards so that mankind steps away from the abyss.
At the same time, Guterres emphasized that the peaceful use of nuclear technologies – including for medical purposes – must be promoted. “If used for peaceful purposes, this technology can be of great benefit to mankind.”
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