United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has issued a stark warning to world leaders, urging them to halt any plans for renewed nuclear testing.
Speaking on the International Day against Nuclear Tests, Guterres declared that humanity is “playing with fire” by keeping the threat of nuclear detonations alive in today’s fragile global climate.
“Stop playing with fire. Now is the time to silence the bombs before they speak again,” he said in a message marking the day.
His words come as fears of nuclear escalation rise in several regions, fueling concerns about a new era of nuclear competition.
This year’s commemoration carries particular weight as it coincides with the 80th anniversary of the world’s first nuclear detonation.
That test, carried out on July 16, 1945, in the New Mexico desert under the Manhattan Project, unleashed a new age of weaponry that has shaped global security ever since.
Since that day, more than 2,000 nuclear tests have been conducted worldwide.
Many of these early tests, carried out in the atmosphere, spread radioactive fallout across borders, poisoning land, water, and entire generations.
Communities near testing sites were displaced, while survivors and their descendants have continued to suffer long-term health problems, including cancers and birth defects.
The International Day against Nuclear Tests was declared by the UN General Assembly in 2009, following Kazakhstan’s historic decision to close the Semipalatinsk test site. That site had once been the Soviet Union’s primary nuclear testing ground.
Its closure became a powerful symbol of resistance to nuclear proliferation and a rallying point for governments, civil society, and activists demanding an end to nuclear testing.
Despite this progress, Guterres warned that the threat is far from over.
Rising geopolitical tensions, nuclear modernization programs, and stalled disarmament talks mean the danger remains real.
“We must never forget the horrific legacy of over 2,000 nuclear tests,” he said. “The world cannot accept this.”
The Secretary-General urged states that have not yet signed or ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) to do so without delay.
The treaty, adopted in 1996, was designed to permanently end nuclear testing.
However, nearly three decades later, it has yet to enter into force due to resistance from key nuclear powers.
Global disarmament advocates argue that renewed commitment to the CTBT is essential to preventing a dangerous new arms race.
For Guterres, the message is simple: the future of global security depends on stopping nuclear testing once and for all.
