Humanity is on the brink of “nuclear annihilation” with the threat reaching its highest boiling point in forty years, a top UN chief has warned. The nuclear arms race has the globe teetering “unacceptably close” to mass atomic destruction, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.
He urged nations that have “stockpiled nearly 14,000 nuclear weapons” to sign the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty to avoid an international crisis. It comes as wealthy countries continue to show off a string of advanced destructive arms that could result in catastrophic conflict.
He addressed the issue in a powerful tweet pleading with global powers. “Now is the time to lift the cloud of nuclear conflict for good, eliminate nuclear weapons from our world, and usher in a new era of trust and peace,” he wrote. The recent alliance formed between the US, UK, and Australia has only heightened fears World War Three could erupt.
The United Nations boss previously raised concerns about the likes of China, North Korea, and the US, among a string of other countries, not yet endorsing the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
The pact was signed by 185 countries in 1996 but has yet to come into action. “We have remained in this state of limbo for too long”, he said earlier. Guterres put pressure on nations to take heed of the US and Russia’s decision to extend the New Strategic Arms Reduction (START) Treaty. FULL REPORT
