Washington: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon believes that realising the dream of a nuclear free world is still possible despite the existence of a huge stockpile of nuclear weapons and efforts of several countries to get a hand on it.
"A world without nuclear weapons may be distant, but it is no longer just a dream," Ban said in a message to the Seventh General Conference of Mayors for Peace.
"I look forward to continuing to work with governments and global citizens to realise this shared vision," he said.
Sharing the Mayor's vision of a world free of nuclear weapons, Ban said, "While we remain far from this goal, that is no reason to despair."
Referring to the five-point plan he issued last year, he said there were practical and realistic steps the international community can take to make this vision a reality.
"Global awareness of the need for progress in nuclear disarmament is greater than it has been in many years. This support is broad-based," Ban said.
"To build on this momentum, next month's observance of the International Day of Peace will seek to mobilise the world to advance the disarmament and non-proliferation agenda," he said.
Bureau Report
First Published: Saturday, August 08, 2009, 09:44