UN Secretary-General António Guterres used the International Day against Nuclear Tests, observed on 29 August, to say that nuclear tests "do not prove strength" but instead "shatter trust, invite reciprocal tests, fuel a nuclear arms race and betray every community still living with the legacy of past nuclear tests." In a formal message, he urged all states possessing nuclear weapons to maintain existing moratoria and to act to bring the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty into force without delay.
Guterres called on the international community to reflect on the victims and survivors of nuclear testing, stressing that their suffering "is not history" but "a warning." He described the current moment as one of "geopolitical tension, division and distrust," making it more important than ever to heed that warning.
The Secretary-General noted two specific milestones falling this year: 30 years since the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty opened for signature, and 35 years since the closure of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site. He cited both as evidence that "humanity can and must choose restraint over ruin."
Guterres stated that "the world must never witness another nuclear explosion," reaffirming the purpose of the Day and calling for a renewed commitment to ending nuclear testing altogether.
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