Source: AUN News
Atomic bombs are absurd. Three-quarters of a century later, he urged attendees of the event at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, which was attended by dozens of people, including hibakusha, young peace activists, Japan’s Prime Minister, and other local officials. “We must ask what we’ve learned from the mushroom cloud that swelled above this city in 1945,” he said.
With around 13,000 nuclear weapons now housed in arsenals worldwide, the UN Secretary-General warned that a new arms race is building up steam and that world leaders are strengthening stockpiles at the cost of hundreds of billions of dollars.
“…Dangerous nuclear crises are rapidly expanding, including everything from the Middle East to the Korean peninsula to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine… He warned, “Humanity is playing with a loaded gun.
The present Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in New York, according to Mr. Guterres, is a “sign of hope.”
He underscored, “Today, from this sacred space, I call on the participants of this Treaty to work promptly to destroy the stockpiles that endanger our future, to enhance communication, diplomacy, and negotiation, and to support my disarmament strategy by destroying these weapons of mass destruction.
It’s time to spread peace.
Leaders cannot run away from their duties, Guterres emphasized.
“Remove the nuclear option from the discussion — permanently. Now is the time to spread peace. Pay attention to the hibakusha’s warning: “No more Hiroshimas! He exclaimed, “Enough Nagasaki’s!
The young people received a message from Mr. Guterres encouraging them to complete the task that the hibakusha had started.
“What happened here must never be forgotten by the world. He said that the legacy of those who survived and the remembrance of those who passed away would never be forgotten.
Over the weekend, the UN Secretary-General will visit Japan, meeting with various influential Japanese leaders, including Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
He will also speak with young activists leading campaigns on nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation, and other global issues, as well as a group of survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings.
Analysis by: Advocacy Unified Network
