UN Secretary-General calls for an end to the arms race

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday, 5 March, urged world leaders to halt the arms race and invest in peace architecture rather than warfighting equipment. ‘Our dream of peace is under threat,’ Guterres warned in his message on International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness. ‘The threat of using nuclear weapons is at its highest level in decades,’ with global tensions pushing military expenditure to very high levels, the circulation of small arms and light weapons is widespread, and the use of new technologies is making conflicts far more deadly, he noted. The UN Secretary-General urged the international community to defuse tensions and to ask world leaders to avoid dangerous situations. ‘Stop threatening with nuclear weapons. Stop the arms race,’ he stated. ‘It is time to invest in peace architecture, not warfighting equipment,’ which means fulfilling disarmament obligations, rebuilding trust, and strengthening systems and instruments that deter proliferation, testing, and the use or deployment of deadly weapons, Guterres emphasised. ‘Together, we can prevent catastrophe and ensure a safe and peaceful world for all,’ he added. In December 2022, the UN General Assembly designated 5 March as the International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness to raise awareness and understanding among the public, especially the younger generation, on disarmament issues.