UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged countries with nuclear weapons to maintain their current pauses on nuclear testing and move towards a formal global ban.

Guterres made the appeal on Friday, warning that nuclear tests could increase mistrust and fuel a new arms race.

He called on countries to bring the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) into force and renew efforts to stop all nuclear test explosions.

Guterres warns against new nuclear tests

Guterres said nuclear testing damages international trust and increases the risk of an arms race.

He also highlighted the long-term impact of past nuclear tests on communities around the world.

The UN chief urged nuclear-armed states to maintain existing testing moratoriums while supporting international efforts to establish a legally binding ban.

His comments came as global security concerns continue to rise.

10 Firms Qualify for Fesco Sale as Chinese Bidder Is Rejected

Russia carries out ICBM training launch

The UN appeal followed a Russian announcement about a training launch of a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

Russia’s Defence Ministry said the military launched a mobile, solid-fuel missile from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in the Arkhangelsk region.

The missile travelled to its designated target at the Kura training range in Russia’s Kamchatka region in the Far East.

Moscow said the exercise aimed to confirm the missile system’s tactical, technical and flight characteristics.

Russia did not describe the launch as a nuclear weapons test.

CTBT remains outside full legal force

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty opened for signature in 1996. It seeks to ban all nuclear test explosions worldwide.

However, the treaty has not entered into full legal force because several key countries have not completed the required ratification process.

The treaty requires ratification from all countries listed in its Annex 2 before it can become legally binding.

Nine Annex 2 countries have yet to complete the process. They are the United States, Russia, China, Iran, Israel, Egypt, India, Pakistan and North Korea.

Most countries support the treaty

The CTBT has gained broad international support.

As of 2026, 188 countries have signed the treaty, while 179 have ratified it.

Guterres’ latest appeal comes amid renewed concerns about nuclear weapons and military competition.

The UN continues to push for countries to maintain their testing pauses and complete the legal steps needed to bring the global nuclear test ban into force.