Hiroshima @77 attack: UN chief calls for global nuclear disarmament
UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday called for global nuclear disarmament, saying it is totally unacceptable for states possessing nuclear weapons to admit the possibility of nuclear war. Mr. Guterres said so in the Japan at a Peace Memorial Ceremony, marking the 77th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
"Nuclear weapons are nonsense. Three quarters of a century later, we have to wonder what we learned from the mushroom cloud that swelled over this city in 1945," he said. in a press release.
The Secretary-General has warned that a new arms race is accelerating and that world leaders are building up stockpiles at a cost of hundreds of billions of dollars, with nearly 13,000 nuclear weapons currently held in arsenals across the world. world.
"... Crises with serious nuclear overtones are spreading rapidly - from the Middle East to the Korean Peninsula, to Russia's invasion of Ukraine... Humanity is playing with a loaded gun “, he warned.
Mr. Guterres called the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference in New York a "sign of hope".
“Today, from this sacred space, I call on members of this Treaty to work urgently to eliminate stockpiles that threaten our future, to strengthen dialogue, diplomacy and negotiation, and to support my disarmament program by eliminating these destructive devices," he said.
He stressed that countries with nuclear weapons must pledge not to use them first and assure other states that they will not use - or threaten to use - nuclear weapons against them.
"We must keep the horrors of Hiroshima in mind at all times, recognizing that there is only one solution to the nuclear threat: no nuclear weapons at all", said the UN chief.
Guterres stressed that leaders could hide from their responsibilities.
"Take the nuclear option off the table - for good. It's time to proliferate peace. Heed the message of the hibakusha: 'No more Hiroshima! No more Nagasaki!'" he said. declared, acknowledging that in 1945, two atomic bombs were detonated in the skies of Japan, the first in Hiroshima on August 6 and in Nagasaki three days later on August 9.
Mr. Guterres also sent a message to the youngsters urging them to complete the work started by the hibakusha.
"The world must never forget what happened here. The memory of those who died - and the legacy of those who survived - will never be extinguished," he said.
The Secretary General also met with five surviving victims of the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, known as Hibakusha, and heard their stories.
He expressed his admiration for them, acknowledging that they had suffered enormously but had overcome the trauma with "enormous courage and resilience".
Mr. Guterres also called them an example to the world and told the three women and two men gathered with him that they had the moral authority to tell leaders that "nuclear weapons are nonsense". p> READ ALSO: ICRC and IFRC celebrate entry into force of Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty
“The UN is committed to keeping the memory of what happened alive and ensuring that your stories resonate forever,” he said.
The hibakusha told the UN chief how they had remained engaged in peace and disarmament issues for most of their lives, noting that, for example, one of them wrote a song for raise awareness and another illustrated his experiences in pictures.
They all expressed their wish that young people also understand the harsh reality of nuclear weapons.
Guterres also participated in an informal dialogue session with young Japanese activists currently leading initiatives on nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and other global issues.
He spoke about the current state of the world, including the triple planetary crisis, raging inequalities and widespread armed conflict.
(NAN)
Support the integrity and credibility journalism of PREMIUM TIMES Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can guarantee the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy and a transparent government. For free and continuous access to the best investigative journalism in the country...
UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday called for global nuclear disarmament, saying it is totally unacceptable for states possessing nuclear weapons to admit the possibility of nuclear war. Mr. Guterres said so in the Japan at a Peace Memorial Ceremony, marking the 77th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
"Nuclear weapons are nonsense. Three quarters of a century later, we have to wonder what we learned from the mushroom cloud that swelled over this city in 1945," he said. in a press release.
The Secretary-General has warned that a new arms race is accelerating and that world leaders are building up stockpiles at a cost of hundreds of billions of dollars, with nearly 13,000 nuclear weapons currently held in arsenals across the world. world.
"... Crises with serious nuclear overtones are spreading rapidly - from the Middle East to the Korean Peninsula, to Russia's invasion of Ukraine... Humanity is playing with a loaded gun “, he warned.
Mr. Guterres called the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference in New York a "sign of hope".
“Today, from this sacred space, I call on members of this Treaty to work urgently to eliminate stockpiles that threaten our future, to strengthen dialogue, diplomacy and negotiation, and to support my disarmament program by eliminating these destructive devices," he said.
He stressed that countries with nuclear weapons must pledge not to use them first and assure other states that they will not use - or threaten to use - nuclear weapons against them.
"We must keep the horrors of Hiroshima in mind at all times, recognizing that there is only one solution to the nuclear threat: no nuclear weapons at all", said the UN chief.
Guterres stressed that leaders could hide from their responsibilities.
"Take the nuclear option off the table - for good. It's time to proliferate peace. Heed the message of the hibakusha: 'No more Hiroshima! No more Nagasaki!'" he said. declared, acknowledging that in 1945, two atomic bombs were detonated in the skies of Japan, the first in Hiroshima on August 6 and in Nagasaki three days later on August 9.
Mr. Guterres also sent a message to the youngsters urging them to complete the work started by the hibakusha.
"The world must never forget what happened here. The memory of those who died - and the legacy of those who survived - will never be extinguished," he said.
The Secretary General also met with five surviving victims of the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, known as Hibakusha, and heard their stories.
He expressed his admiration for them, acknowledging that they had suffered enormously but had overcome the trauma with "enormous courage and resilience".
Mr. Guterres also called them an example to the world and told the three women and two men gathered with him that they had the moral authority to tell leaders that "nuclear weapons are nonsense". p> READ ALSO: ICRC and IFRC celebrate entry into force of Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty
“The UN is committed to keeping the memory of what happened alive and ensuring that your stories resonate forever,” he said.
The hibakusha told the UN chief how they had remained engaged in peace and disarmament issues for most of their lives, noting that, for example, one of them wrote a song for raise awareness and another illustrated his experiences in pictures.
They all expressed their wish that young people also understand the harsh reality of nuclear weapons.
Guterres also participated in an informal dialogue session with young Japanese activists currently leading initiatives on nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and other global issues.
He spoke about the current state of the world, including the triple planetary crisis, raging inequalities and widespread armed conflict.
(NAN)
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