MaximsNewsNetwork: 03 May 2010 - UNTV: United Nations, New York - The world is looking to the more than 100 nations gathered at United Nations Headquarters today (3 May) for a major nuclear non-proliferation conference to review the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and take decisive action to build a safer world, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said at the events start.
He told the five-yearly review of the Treaty (NPT) that kicked off today in New York that the worlds people want more from us; and more progress on disarmament; more arms cuts and more transparency while he noted that there are doubts about compliance as well as resentments between nuclear haves and have-nots.
Ban called on Iran to comply fully with Security Council resolutions and fully cooperate fully with the IAEA. He said Iran should accept the nuclear fuel supply proposal put forward by the Agency, and also encouraged the President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to engage constructively.
The Secretary-General made it clear that the onus is on Iran to clarify the doubts and concerns about its programme.
He characterized the NPT, the cornerstone of the worlds nuclear non-proliferation regime, as one of the most important global treaties ever reached and laid out five benchmarks for success in pushing the agenda forward.
Another of his benchmarks is taking steps to achieve the NPTs universality. India, Pakistan and Israel are not parties to the pact, and the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) withdrew in 2003.
For his part, Yukiya Amano, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), who also addressed todays meeting, said that Irans lack of cooperation is preventing the agency from confirming that all nuclear material is not being diverted to a weapons programme.
He said that the Agency continues to verify the non-diversion of declared nuclear material, but remains unable to confirm that all nuclear material is in peaceful activities because Iran has not provided the necessary cooperation.
Mr. Amano also noted that the IAEA has not been able to confirm the nature of nuclear activities in the DPRK, which ceased all cooperation with the Agency last year, and has no made progress in resolving questions related to the nature of the Dair Alzour site alleged by some to be the site of a nuclear reactor which was destroyed by Israel.
The IAEA chief urged the 20 parties to the NPT which have yet to bring comprehensive safeguards agreements into force to take immediate steps to join the 98 countries which have done so.
Ahmadinejad responded to the Secretary-General, saying that Iran has accepted the fuel exchange offer and now we have thrown the ball in the court of those who should accept our proposal and embark in cooperation with us.
He emphatically denied that his country intended to build a nuclear weapon and said that Iran is in no need of nuclear bombs for its development and does not regard it a source of honor and dignity.
United States (US) Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told the meeting that the US supports efforts to realize the goal of a weapon of mass destruction free zone in the Middle East, in accordance with the 1995 Middle East Resolution while noting that some countries in the region, parties to the NPT, have violated their treaty obligations.
Speaking to reporters Clinton said that Ahmadinejads claim of having accepted the IAEAs proposal to refuel the Tehran Research Reactor was part of Irans history of making confusing, contradictory and inaccurate statements designed to convey the impression that it has adopted a flexible attitude towards the proposal.
She said that Ahmadinejad, knows the address of the IAEA, he knows what is expected of him; he can respond at any time and we would still welcome a good-faith, legitimate, genuine response. But, we are - as you know - waiting.
The current gathering is expected to wrap up on 28 May.
.......... ( UNITED NATIONS TELEVISION: UNTV ) ......
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