New York, On the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on world leaders to recommit to a future free of nuclear arms, warning that the threat of nuclear conflict remains dangerously real.

Guterres emphasized that nearly 13,000 nuclear weapons are still stockpiled worldwide, many on high alert. He described this as a “clear and present danger,” especially amid rising geopolitical tensions and the erosion of arms control agreements.

The Secretary-General urged nations to strengthen the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and support the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which entered into force in 2021. He also called for renewed diplomatic efforts, transparency, and trust-building to prevent escalation and promote disarmament.

The UN General Assembly first established this observance in 2013 to spotlight the humanitarian and environmental consequences of nuclear weapons and to galvanize global efforts toward their elimination.