Secretary-General Welcomes Resolution Adopted at ‘Historic’ Security Council Summit,

Says New Chapter Opened in Council Efforts to Address Nuclear Disarmament

Following is the statement by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon following the Security Council summit on nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament in New York on 24 September:

I welcome the resolution which was adopted by consensus at the Security Council summit meeting on nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament. This summit was an historic event that has opened a new chapter in the Council's efforts to address nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. I commend the vision and leadership of [United States] President [Barack] Obama who convened the meeting.

Global nuclear non-proliferation stands at a critical juncture. Despite some progress, much remains to be done to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons. Against this backdrop, this summit was especially timely. I had proposed a Security Council summit meeting on nuclear disarmament in my 5-point action plan last year. I underscore the need to sustain this initiative in the Council and beyond, at the highest possible level.

I hope that the international community seizes and builds on this momentum towards advancing nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, in general, and achieving success at the 2010 NPT Review Conference, in particular. I will spare no effort to promote nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation and achieve success for the sake of global peace and security.

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