The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, has warned this Friday that the risk of a global nuclear disaster is once again a palpable reality, for which he has called on the international community to strengthen dialogue and advance in disarmament to prevent any escalation of conflicts.
"The threat of a nuclear catastrophe has returned. But we cannot allow setbacks to weaken our determination. It is time to choose dialogue over division, diplomacy over confrontation, and disarmament over destruction. Let us build a safer and more peaceful world for all," the Secretary stated in a declaration disseminated on his social networks on the occasion of the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
Guterres' words come in parallel to the start of a new session period of the UN General Assembly in New York and at a time of strong military escalation in the Middle East. In recent weeks, attacks by the Houthi militia against Saudi Arabia and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have raised regional tension to "a severity not seen in decades," according to Bahrain in the session.
At the same time, the Secretary-General's call is linked to the prolonged blockage of major multilateral non-proliferation treaties and the increase in nuclear deterrence rhetoric by the great powers, in a scenario marked by the rapid modernization of strategic arsenals and the paralysis of negotiations to extend arms control agreements.
Guterres will leave the leadership of the organization on December 31, when his second term concludes after ten years at the helm of the United Nations.