António Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General, warned on Sunday that the “drums of nuclear war are beating once more.” Speaking on the occasion of the 78th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, he urged the international community to learn from the “nuclear disaster” that struck the Japanese city on August 6, 1945.
António Guterres stated, “The drums of nuclear war are sounding again. Mistrust and division are on the rise, and the nuclear specter that hovered during the Cold War has re-emerged.” He further pointed out in his speech that “some nations are recklessly brandishing the nuclear sword again, threatening to use these tools of annihilation. In the face of these threats, the global community must speak with one voice.”
He affirmed that the “organization will continue working with world leaders to strengthen the global disarmament and non-proliferation system, including through the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.”
António Guterres’ remarks were delivered by Izumi Nakamitsu, the UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs.