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A Safer World Slipped Away: UN Chief Laments Failure of Nuclear Non-Proliferation Summit Amid Surging Global Risks
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed deep disappointment after the 11th NPT Review Conference failed to achieve a consensus agreement at the UN headquarters. Terming the treaty the cornerstone of global non-proliferation, Guterres warned that the collapse occurred at a time of heightened international risks, urging states to rapidly seek alternative diplomatic avenues to reduce nuclear threats.
ND
by News Desk
2026-05-23
A Safer World Slipped Away: UN Chief Laments Failure of Nuclear Non-Proliferation Summit Amid Surging Global Risks

Detailed Report:

  • The Failure of Consensus: UN Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed profound disappointment after the Eleventh Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) concluded at the United Nations headquarters in New York without reaching a substantive agreement. Through an official statement issued by his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, Guterres noted that participating states missed a critical structural opportunity to de-escalate modern nuclear brinkmanship and make the world a safer place.

  • Elevated Risks and Urgent Demands: The collapse of the high-stakes summit comes at an incredibly fragile moment for international stability. The UN chief emphasized that the current global landscape is defined by deep structural tensions and an elevated threat level surrounding atomic arsenals. Dujarric highlighted that this dangerous environment demands urgent and immediate action, lamenting that the multilateral conference fell short precisely when international security challenges are at their most pressing.

  • A Cornerstone Under Strain: Despite the ultimate breakdown, Guterres praised the sincere, hard-fought, and meaningful engagement demonstrated by many of the individual state delegations throughout the negotiations. He extended specific praise to Do Hung Viet, the President of the 11th Review Conference, thanking him for his tireless leadership and steady diplomatic guidance. The Secretary-General reaffirmed that achieving a world completely free of nuclear weapons remains the United Nations' highest organizational disarmament priority, describing the decades-old NPT as the irreplaceable cornerstone of global non-proliferation.

  • The Avenues Forward: Moving forward, the UN leadership is imploring all nations to bypass the stalled conference frameworks and aggressively utilize alternative diplomatic avenues. Guterres called on global superpowers and regional states alike to leverage bilateral negotiations, backchannel communications, and parallel security dialogues to lower nuclear risks, dismantle offensive doctrines, and systematically eliminate the existential nuclear threat.
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UN Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed deep disappointment after the 11th NPT Review Conference failed to achieve a consensus agreement at the UN headquarters. Terming the treaty the cornerstone of global non-proliferation, Guterres warned that the collapse occurred at a time of heightened international risks, urging states to rapidly seek alternative diplomatic avenues to reduce nuclear threats.
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