United Nations’ Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon has outlined five areas that deserve greater attention as the
International community strives to ensure nuclear security, curb terrorism financing as well as maintain stricter control over fissile materials.
“The prospect of nuclear terrorism threatens International Security. We are united in our resolve to defuse this threat,” he said in his remarks at the plenary session of the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit, a two-day event hosted by the Republic of Korea.
Mr. Ban highlighted the need to consolidate the global nuclear security architecture through universal adherence to international instruments and a rigorous review mechanism.
He said that the United Nations was the universal forum for preventing terrorists from using or acquiring nuclear weapons even as he pledged to convene a high-level event this fall to help strengthen the legal framework on preventing nuclear terrorism.
The UN chief said that it was important to curb terrorism financing as he welcomed the participation of Interpol at the summit, given the significance of customs and law enforcement.
Ki-moon told world leaders that more stringent control over fissile materials was another crucial area that deserved greater attention and added that, “there has been some progress, but let us be clear: the world needs a verifiable and legally binding fissile material cut-off treaty.”
He added that the current stalemate in the UN Conference on Disarmament (CD) is “unacceptable,” and called on members of the world’s sole multilateral disarmament negotiating forum to immediately commence negotiations on a treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons.