NPT failure disappoints UN Chief

NEW YORK, May 23 (KUNA) -- UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed this morning his disappointment at inability of 2015 Review Conference of Parties to Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to reach consensus on a substantive outcome.
In a statement, Ban regretted in particular that States parties "were unable to narrow their differences on the future of nuclear disarmament or to arrive at a new collective vision on how to achieve a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction." He appealed to all States to sustain the momentum they have built over the past five years, including new initiatives in the pursuit of nuclear disarmament and continuing efforts to strengthen nuclear non-proliferation.
With respect to the Middle East, Ban continues to stand ready to support efforts to promote and sustain the inclusive regional dialogue necessary to achieve this goal, the statement confirmed.
He hoped that the growing awareness of the devastating humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons continues to compel urgent actions for effective measures leading to the prohibition and elimination of nuclear weapons.
He expressed his sincere appreciation to Ambassador Taous Feroukhi of Algeria, in presiding over the Conference, for her determined and tireless efforts to seek a consensus outcome that would have achieved the aspirations of the States parties.
The Review Conference, that kicked off April 27 had closed down its sessions yesterday with the failure of adopting a final censuses on Middle East Nuclear free zone.
With more than 100 governments taking part, the conference aimed to consider, inter alia, the universality of the NPT, the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, strengthening the nuclear safeguards, and measures to advance the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
The NPT is a landmark international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament. (pickup previous) mao.bs