United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that the threat of nuclear weapons is “accelerating and evolving,” urging world leaders to recommit to global disarmament. His message was delivered on Friday at a high-level meeting in New York marking the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
Recalling the devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Guterres’ statement, read by UN Chief de Cabinet Courtenay Rattray, cautioned that the world is “sleepwalking” into a more complex and dangerous arms race, intensified by new technologies such as hypersonic missiles, deep-sea drones, and the militarization of cyberspace and outer space.
He announced the creation of an independent UN scientific panel to assess the effects of nuclear war and ensure responses are grounded in evidence. He stressed that nuclear disarmament cannot wait for the “right conditions,” adding, “Disarmament is not the reward for peace, it is the foundation of peace.”
Rattray called on nuclear states to resume dialogue, build confidence, and honour commitments under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). He further urged all countries to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and pressed the United States and Russia to reduce their nuclear stockpiles.
General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock also warned of the risks posed by nuclear weapons, including the danger of them falling into the hands of terrorists and the potential misuse of artificial intelligence. She urged states to adopt a “no first use” policy and to redirect resources from the arms race toward climate action.
Baerbock encouraged countries to channel nuclear technology into peaceful uses such as cancer treatment and environmental protection, stressing that global security depends on turning away from nuclear escalation toward constructive solutions.
