“The only sure way to eliminate the threat posed by nuclear weapons is to eliminate the weapons themselves. » Secretary-General António Guterres said during a high-level meeting of the General Assembly to commemorate and promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
“Such an ambitious goal will not be achieved overnight. But we must take urgent action now.”
In May this year, the Secretary-General launched his disarmament agenda, which recognizes that progress toward the common goal of a world free of nuclear weapons remains uneven. He noted that efforts have stalled and in some cases may move backwards.
“That is why I called for the resumption of a sincere, substantive and results-oriented dialogue towards the total elimination of nuclear weapons, as well as the implementation of existing commitments,” he said, adding that States possessing nuclear weapons have the responsibility to lead by example.
He called on the United States and Russia – “by far the largest possessors of nuclear weapons” – to resume the dialogue necessary to maintain their historic record of bilaterally reducing their arsenals.
At the same time, the Secretary-General stressed that all States have responsibilities in pursuing nuclear disarmament, first and foremost respecting their non-proliferation obligations.
The elimination of nuclear weapons is probably the existential challenge of our time – President of the General Assembly Espinosa
“No other technology, no other weapon of mass destruction has the capacity to literally change the face of the earth, eradicating entire societies. »
In terms of progress, she noted the adoption in 2017 of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons – a historic and legally binding instrument of nuclear disarmament that includes prohibitions on developing, testing, acquiring, using or even threatening to use nuclear weapons.
“The Treaty demonstrates the continued necessity and utility of multilateralism,” she said.
THE International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weaponscelebrated annually on September 26, provides the global community with an opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to global nuclear disarmament as a top priority. It is also an opportunity to educate the public about the real benefits of eliminating these weapons, as well as the social and economic costs of their perpetuation.
Publicado anteriormente en Almouwatin.
