UN Calls for the Elimination of All Nuclear Weapons

The nuclear risk has reached a level not seen since the Cold War due to geopolitical mistrust and rivalry. It is imperative to dismantle nuclear weapons.

This was the message delivered by the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, as reported by the UN press office.

"The only way to eliminate nuclear danger is to get rid of nuclear weapons altogether. Let us collectively work to ensure that these instruments of destruction exist only in the annals of history," said Guterres in his address on the occasion of the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, observed on September 26.

According to the head of the UN, the progress achieved through decades of hard work in preventing the use, spread, and testing of nuclear weapons is currently unraveling.

Guterres called for the use of "timeless instruments of dialogue, diplomacy, and negotiation to ease tensions and put an end to the nuclear threat."

According to the UN, there are approximately 12,500 nuclear weapons in the world today. Countries possessing such weapons have well-funded, long-term plans for the modernization of their nuclear arsenals.

Nevertheless, there is no shortage of regional and global agreements that establish frameworks for nuclear disarmament.

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) not only obliges those who have ratified it to halt its proliferation but also encourages the peaceful use of nuclear energy and disarmament. It was signed in 1968, entered into force in 1970, and was indefinitely extended in 1995. Approximately 191 countries, including the five openly possessing nuclear arsenals, have joined the treaty, making it the most ratified disarmament treaty.

Another significant pillar is the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), adopted in 1996. It has been signed by 185 countries and ratified by 170, including three nuclear-armed states: France, Russia, and the United Kingdom.

However, for the treaty to enter into force, it must be signed and ratified by 44 specific states with nuclear technology, eight of which have yet to ratify it: China, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, and the United States.

A relatively new addition to the disarmament framework is the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which encompasses a comprehensive set of prohibitions on activities related to nuclear weapons, including commitments not to develop or test them. It entered into force on January 22, 2021.