New York, 27 April 2026 – The United Nations has begun the difficult task of reviewing the effectiveness of a decades-old Treaty on the Non-proliferation of nuclear weapons (NPT) at a time when threats of use of nuclear arms have increased and global military spending soared to US$ 2.7 trillion last year.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the 193 UN state members in the UN General Assembly that the NPT has eroded and the number of nuclear warheads is on the rise for the first time in decades while nuclear testing is back on the table.

“Global military spending soared to US$ 2.7 trillion last year — thirteen times more than all development aid globally, and equivalent to the entire Gross Domestic Product of Africa,” he told NPT review session which takes place every five years.

“Some governments are openly mulling the acquisition of these horrific weapons. Have we forgotten that a nuclear war cannot be won and must not be fought? Have we forgotten that nuclear weapons make no one safer? Have we forgotten that the only reason the world did not tumble into the abyss was because leaders stood together and said: enough?”

“It’s time to re-commit to disarmament and non-proliferation as the only true path to peace,“ Guterres said. “Today, the nuclear threat is compounded by new dangers from rapidly evolving technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing.”

The treaty, which was ratified by 191 countries and has been in force since 1970, aimed at curbing the spread of nuclear weapons, advance nuclear disarmament and promote nuclear energy.

Izumi Nakamitsu, the UN’s High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, told the media at UN headquarters that the review conference provides an opportunity for governments to identify common areas, against the background of an extremely difficult security environment and increasingly concerning rhetoric.

“The threat of nuclear weapons use is becoming more frequent, and we don’t want that to become normalised,” she said. “The more nuclear weapons states there are, the greater the risk of nuclear weapons being used by mistake.”

Nakamitsu said the review “is not going to be just a box-ticking exercise. Diplomats need to lead it towards a successful outcome because it is about the future of the nuclear order in the world.”

Documents related to the review conference available at UN headquarters reported the existence of a total of 12,241 nuclear weapons as of 2025. Russia has 5,459 nuclear weapons, the US has 5,177, China has 600, France has 290, United Kingdom has 225, Israel has 90, India has 180, Pakistan has 180 and North Korea 50.

The International Group of Eminent Persons (IGEP), composed of 15 experts mostly on defence and arms control, calls for a world without nuclear weapons.

At a meeting held at UN Headquarters, IGEP warned that the danger of nuclear war “looms larger than it has been in decades” and rising geopolitical tensions, resurgent nuclear salience and the advent of emerging technologies have brought the world “closer to the precipice.”

IGEP said, “Nuclear dangers are accelerating with alarming speed, demanding not only sober reflection, but bold coordinated action.”

It called for urgent steps to prevent nuclear war, stop nuclear arms racing and reduce proliferation risks, and work for a constructive 2026 NPT review conference.

United Nations correspondent journalists – United Nations correspondent journalists – United Nations journalism articles – United Nations journalism articles – United Nations News – UNCA Awards