UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for the abolition of nuclear weapons. “Our world has been held hostage by nuclear weapons long enough,” he wrote on Twitter on Sunday. “These death machines guarantee neither victory nor safety.” Their only result is destruction. Today is also the International Day Against Nuclear Tests.
Guterres added in his tweet: “Let’s make sure that testing ends forever and nuclear weapons become history once and for all.” Global concerns about nuclear war are mounting as the war in Ukraine unfolds.
International Day Against Nuclear Tests
“Nuclear weapons have no place in our world,” Guterres said Monday morning. The occasion was the International Day against Nuclear Tests (29 August). This day is a global recognition of “the catastrophic and lasting damage done so far in the name of the nuclear arms race,” Guterres said.
The day is also dedicated to the commemoration of those people who have suffered the “madness of a nuclear policy on the brink of collapse”. Nuclear risks are greater today than ever before.
Agreement adopted in 1996
Guterres calls for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) to come into full effect and be supported by an effective verification system. The UN approved the agreement in 1996. It prohibits the use of any type of nuclear weapons detonation, whether for civilian or military purposes. However, the treaty has never entered into force because China, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan and the US have so far steered clear of it. It is currently signed by 185 countries and ratified by 170. The seat of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) is in Vienna. However, as the CTBT has not yet entered into force, it has only existed until now in the form of a “preparatory committee”.
Observers are currently concerned about North Korea, where after numerous missile tests, ruler Kim Jong-un’s first nuclear test in nearly five years could be imminent.
Greens anti-nuclear spokesperson speaks out
Austrian politicians also spoke out on Monday in press releases about nuclear weapons. The anti-nuclear spokesman for the Greens, Martin Litschauer, also pointed out that there is currently a major threat from nuclear weapons: “Britain has announced the expansion of its nuclear arsenal and we also know from Iran that uranium is already being enriched to such to the extent that the question arises whether military interests are actually being pursued here rather than civilian use.”
SPÖ MP Petra Bayr in particular called on the US to sign the CTBT: “President Biden must break with his predecessor’s big power politics and lead by example!”
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
