Quote of the Day: “Humanity is one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation” — António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations.
António Guterres, the head of the United Nations, warned that even a misunderstanding could cause a nuclear disaster amid rising global tensions. His warning came at a key Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty conference in New York. Guterres stressed the urgent need for restraint and dialogue, warning: “Today, humanity is only one misunderstanding, one miscalculation, away from nuclear annihilation.”
In an international treaty that came into force in 1970 to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, he also said: “So far we have been extraordinarily lucky. But luck is not a strategy. Nor is it a shield against geopolitical tensions that escalate into nuclear conflict,” urging nations to “lead humanity on a new path to a world without nuclear weapons.”
What does the quote mean
Mr Guterres highlighted some of the challenges to global peace and security, warning that modern tensions could lead to another world war.
He pointed out that humanity stands dangerously close to nuclear annihilation due to rising geopolitical tensions, weakening safeguards and growing mistrust between nations. He noted that global competition is increasingly replacing cooperation, while dialogue is giving way to suspicion and disunity. He added that countries are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in nuclear arsenals in an attempt to achieve what he described as a false sense of security, even though such weapons pose a threat to the planet. With nearly 13,000 nuclear weapons stockpiled worldwide in 2022, the risk of catastrophic consequences from a single misstep is alarmingly real.
He continued that the threat is heightened by ongoing conflicts and crises with nuclear undertones, including tensions in the Middle East, the Korean Peninsula and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. At the same time, the mechanisms designed to prevent these escalations and nuclear proliferation are weakening, making global security more unstable than it has been since the Cold War. In an unstable climate, Guterres warned that even miscommunication or miscalculation between nuclear-armed countries could lead to devastating consequences and threaten the future of humanity.
Following Guterres’ warning, Rafael Grossi spoke of the need to maintain credible oversight of Iran’s nuclear program. He stressed that if the International Atomic Energy Agency is to reassure the world that Iran’s nuclear activities remain peaceful, full and adequate access to its facilities is necessary.
When and where di António Guterres said it
António Guterres’ words on nuclear elimination are from August 1, 2022 at United Nations headquarters in New York. He delivered opening remarks at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference.
He also called on all governments to meet all remaining commitments in the treaty “and keep it fit for purpose in these difficult times”.
Who is Antonio Guterres?
António Guterres, born 30 April 1949 in Cascais, is a Portuguese politician and diplomat who currently serves as the ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations as of 2017.
A member of the Portuguese Socialist Party, he previously served as Prime Minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002.
He studied physics and electrical engineering at the Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon and briefly worked as a teacher before entering politics. Guterres also served as president of the Socialist International and later became the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from 2005 to 2015.
He was elected UN Secretary-General in October 2016, succeeding Ban Ki-moon, becoming the first European to hold the post since Kurt Waldheim.
