UN chief warns of nuclear ‘danger’ as world remembers Hiroshima; calls for abolition of weapons
On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped a bomb named ‘Little Boy’ on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, during World War II. The bombing caused massive devastation, killing and injuring tens of thousands of people.
The Secretary-General stressed that the threat of nuclear weapons use is not “restricted to history books” but is a “real and present danger” today – once again looming large “in the everyday discourse of international relations”.
Lessons from Hiroshima
In a message delivered to the Japanese city by UN disarmament chief Izumi Nakamitsu, Mr Guterres said lessons from Hiroshima to encourage disarmament and peace had been “cast aside” but he acknowledged the efforts of the people of Hiroshima to ensure nuclear weapons were never used again.
He added that the use of nuclear weapons was unacceptable and “a nuclear war cannot be won – and must never happen”.
He said this is a lesson that shows we need to disarm now.
Message for the future
As the Hiroshima peace memorial continues, Mr Guterres said global mistrust and division had increased, but we must ensure we do not “push our luck again”.
“Some are recklessly shaking the nuclear sword again“The world must come together to condemn this unacceptable behavior,” he said.
Look forward Summit of the Future in New York next month, the Secretary-General said it was a “important opportunity for governments to renew their commitment to multilateralism, sustainable development and peaceand adopt a Treaty that is workable and forward-looking.”
Conflict prevention, disarmament and a world without nuclear weapons need to be at the heart of these efforts, he said.
“We will never forget the lessons of August 6, 1945,” he said. “There will be no more Hiroshima. There will be no more Nagasaki.”
Determination to innovate
On Tuesday, the head of the UN disarmament agency, Ms. Nakamitsu, reiterated that message online.
In a statement about X, she also reaffirmed her determination “to continue to work towards a world without nuclear weapons. For the safety of all.“ .
