New York, September 30 (QNA) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the world is going through the "most dangerous nuclear moment since the end of the Cold War," with nuclear arsenals undergoing expansions and modernizations and advances in technology increasing the odds of mistake and miscalculation.

The statements of the UN Secretary-General came during the plenary meeting of the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, in New York.

The meeting aims to raise awareness of the threat posed by nuclear weapons and to contribute to mobilizing efforts to establish a world free of such weapons.

Guterres expressed his concerns regarding the expiration of the New START Treaty earlier this year, as well as the inability of the eleventh Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to reach consensus on a substantive outcome.

"Just when they are most needed, the safeguards built over decades to contain these dangers are breaking down," the UN chief said.

He noted that the United Nations Disarmament Commission once again completed its three-year cycle without substantive recommendations.

"These are not simply diplomatic disappointments — they are warning signals. And the lights are flashing red. Rising risks and crumbling guardrails are a one-way ticket to disaster," Guterres stressed.

He urged the United States and the Russian Federation to negotiate a successor framework to New START, stressing that it is beyond time to bring the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty into force.

"Humanity has lived under the nuclear shadow for more than eight decades. We must ensure that future generations do not. Let’s choose a future free from nuclear weapons," he said.

For his part, General Assembly President Khalilur Rahman said the global stockpile has reached more than 12,000 nuclear warheads, compared with a peak of about 70,000 warheads in 1986.

He stressed that particularly alarming is that between 2,100 and 2,200 nuclear warheads are placed on high operational alert on ballistic missiles, capable of being launched at extremely short notice, adding that for the first time since the end of the Cold War, the global nuclear stockpile is expected to grow again, as new and more advanced warheads enter arsenals faster than retired ones are dismantled.

He noted that since Feb. 5, 2026, the New START Treaty has expired without a new treaty, warning that "for the first time since 1972, there are no binding limits imposed on strategic nuclear arsenals." (QNA)