International News

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 6 (APP): United Nations Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres has urged all states to intensify their efforts in the shared pursuit of a nuclear-weapons-free world.
“Our dream of a world free of nuclear weapons remains far from
reality,” Guterres said in his message delivered on his behalf by High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu at an annual
memorial held in Hiroshima, Japan, on Sunday that marked the 72nd anniversary of the world’s first atomic bombing in Hiroshima that
destroyed a portion of the city and its inhabitants.
The United States dropped the bomb on Hiroshima on Aug 6, 1945,
killing thousands of people instantly and about 140,000 by the end of
that year.
After US forces dropped another atomic bomb on Nagasaki three days
later, Japan surrendered, bringing World War Two to an end.
“The states possessing nuclear weapons have a special responsibility
to undertake concrete and irreversible steps in nuclear disarmament,” Guterres stressed, warning against the continued presence of some
15,000 nuclear weapons and dangerous rhetoric regarding their use.
He went on to state that the world looks to Hiroshima, as the city
– built on “resilience and hope” – has come back from the tragic event
72 years ago. “Your determination for peace is an inspiration to the
world,” Guterres said.
On a positive note, he highlighted a major development in 2017, in
particular the adoption last month of the treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons by UN member states.
This outcome was the result of a global campaign focused on the
unconditional unacceptability of the use of nuclear weapons, the Secretary-General noted, acknowledging the invaluable contribution made
by Hiroshima’s message of peace and the heroic efforts of hibakushas, or survivors of the atomic bombs.
They have reminded the world of the devastating humanitarian
consequences of nuclear weapons, he said, expressing UN support for a
global effort towards a world free of nuclear weapons.