Antonio Guterres calls for elimination of nuclear weapons at UNGA

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres deplored the reversals of disarmament efforts at the commemoration of the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons on September 26. According to Guterres, elimination of nuclear weapons is the only way to eliminate its threat. Guterres said that there has been even reversals in the achievement towards disarmament let alone the slowdown in the progress. He added that mistrust among the nuclear-armed states and dangerous rhetoric is on the rise.

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'Slipping back into bad habits'

"I worry that we are slipping back into bad habits that will once again hold the entire world hostage to the threat of nuclear annihilation," said Guterres recalling the expiration of the landmark Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. He said that the highest disarmament priority of the United Nations has been the elimination of nuclear weapons. “We strive for a world free of nuclear weapons because we know these weapons pose a unique and potentially existential threat to our planet,” he said.  

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NPT as the cornerstone of the nuclear disarmament

Guterres also encouraged the US and Russia to extend their nuclear arms reduction treaty ‘New START’. The treaty, which was signed in 2010 in Prague and ratified in February 2011, is expected to last at least until 2021. To maintain the fundamental goals of Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and prevent nuclear war, Guterres called upon all the State parties to the New START instrument. He said that the NPT remains the cornerstone of the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime.

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Importance of CTBT

Guterres emphasized the importance of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).  He said that CTBT remains a long-overdue measure to prevent the development of nuclear weapons. While Guterres urged the nuclear-weapon States to engage in urgent dialogue, several speakers pointed out the benefits of nuclear technology. They said that progress towards the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) could be made through areas of energy, medical treatment and agriculture.

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