UN Chief Guterres warns humanity 'one misunderstanding away from nuclear annihilation'

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned the world that humanity is "just one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation." Speaking at the start of the Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Guterres emphasized that humanity is in danger of forgetting the lessons forged in the "terrifying fires of Hiroshima and Nagasaki." He noted that geopolitical tensions is reaching "new highs," competition is becoming victorious over cooperation and distrust has replaced "dialogue" and disarmament has been changed with "disunity."

Guterres said that the review conference is being held at a time of "nuclear danger not seen since the height of the Cold War." Antonio Guterres said that they have been "extraordinarily lucky so far" and stressed that luck is not a "strategy" and a "shield" from geopolitical tensions that have been "boiling into a nuclear conflict."

He highlighted the need for the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons as much as ever. He called the review conference "important and an opportunity" to discuss the ways to help stop a certain disaster. Antonio Guterres called on countries to "reinforce and reaffirm" the norm to not use nuclear weapons. He urged the world to continue taking measures that reduce the risk of nuclear weapons and return to the path to disarmament.

"The clouds that parted following the end of the Cold War are gathering once more. We have been extraordinarily lucky so far. But luck is not a strategy nor is it a shield from geopolitical tensions boiling over into nuclear conflict. Today, humanity is just one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation," Antonio Guterres said in his address. 

Around 13000 nuclear weapons in the world: UN Chief 

The UN Chief emphasized, "Eliminating nuclear weapons is the only guarantee they will never be used." In his speech at the Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Guterres pointed out there are currently around 13,000 nuclear weapons in the world. He underlined that countries are trying to ensure false security by stockpiling and investing billions of dollars on "doomsday weapons that have no place on our planet." He asserted that all this is happening at a time when the risk of proliferation is increasing and guardrails to stop escalation have been weakening. He asserted that nuclear undertones were festering from Middle East, Korean Peninsula, Russian offensive in Ukraine and many other factors around the world. 

Image: AP