Nuclear-Free World Not Some Utopian Dream, but ‘the Only Pathway to a Peaceful Future,’ Secretary-General Tells Mayors’ Conference

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message for the Conference of Mayors for Peace:  “Creating a Peaceful, Nuclear-Weapon-Free World:  Cultivating a Culture of Peace in Civil Society”, in Hiroshima, today:

Let me begin by thanking Mayors for Peace for your leadership and strong voice to move us closer to a nuclear-weapon-free-world.  There is no more appropriate place to mark your anniversary than Hiroshima.  And no better time to reiterate the importance of peace.

Divisions and conflicts are multiplying.  Nuclear risks are accelerating.  The world is in danger of forgetting the fiery lessons of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  But we cannot give up.

I urge all countries to use the tools of diplomacy, dialogue and negotiation to eliminate the nuclear threat, once and for all.  And I urge you to step up your action.  More than ever, we need all partners, across every walk of life, demanding an end to the proliferation of these devices of death.

Nuclear disarmament is not some utopian dream.  It is the only pathway to a peaceful future.  The United Nations is proud to walk this path with you.  Eliminating nuclear weapons would be the greatest gift we could bestow on future generations.  Let’s make it happen.