New York, Sept. 29 (Petra) -- The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) held a high-level meeting Tuesday to commemorate the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, aiming to raise awareness of the threat posed by nuclear weapons and contribute to mobilizing efforts toward the shared goal of a world free of such weapons.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in an address to the meeting that the world is passing through "the most dangerous nuclear moment since the end of the Cold War," pointing to the expansion and modernization of nuclear arsenals, escalating nuclear posturing, and growing risks of miscalculation due to technological developments.

Guterres expressed concern over the expiration of the New START Treaty (the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) and the failure of the 11th Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) to reach consensus on a substantive outcome, adding, "At the moment when they are needed most, the guardrails built over decades to contain these risks are collapsing." He added that the UN Disarmament Commission has once again ended its three-year cycle without reaching substantive recommendations, stressing that "these are not just diplomatic disappointments, they are warning signs," and warning that "escalating risks and collapsing guardrails are a one-way road to catastrophe." He said humanity has lived under the shadow of the nuclear weapon for more than eight decades, urging states to "choose a future free of nuclear weapons." For his part, General Assembly President Khalilur Rahman said the global stockpile has reached more than 12,000 nuclear warheads, compared with a peak of about 70,000 warheads in 1986.

Khalilur Rahman stressed that "particularly alarming is that between 2,100 and 2,200 nuclear warheads are placed on high operational alert on ballistic missiles, capable of being launched at extremely short notice," adding, "For the first time since the end of the Cold War, the global nuclear stockpile is expected to grow again, as new and more advanced warheads enter arsenals faster than retired ones are dismantled." He noted that since Feb. 5, 2026, the New START Treaty has expired without a replacement treaty, saying, "For the first time since 1972, there are no binding limits imposed on strategic nuclear arsenals." //Petra// AF