Geneva: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
Wednesday called for accelerated negotiations to achieve a
much-needed reform of the UN Security Council, citing
significant changes on the international political scene over
the last 60 years.
He asked the member states to "expedite the text-based
negotiations" for urgent reform of the Security Council so as
to "determine the exact modalities," noting that India is one
of the aspirants for the permanent membership.
"As a SG I will coordinate and try to create the
atmosphere so that the member states can accelerate their
negotiations," he told PTI during a press conference at the
end of his visit to Geneva.
"I know that India is one of the aspirants for the
permanent members of the UN Security Council," he said,
emphasising that members states must expedite the text-based
negotiations.
"The third draft text has been submitted and has
become the subject of negotiations," said Ban, arguing that
"as for the modalities, and exact modalities, this is
something that member states should determine through the
negotiations".
He said there is growing support among the member
states for the urgent reform of the Security Council which
should be "reformed and expanded in a more democratic and more
representative and more transparent manner".
Ban said "significant changes in the international
political scenes during the last six decades" call for an
urgent reform of the Security Council without further delay.
Asked to comment on the growing opposition from the
people in India to nuclear energy and setting up of new
nuclear plants, the UN chief said governments must revisit
their nuclear safety standards all over again.
"We have seen tragic consequences of the Chernobyl,
and Fukushima Daichi nuclear accidents (in Japan) recently,"
he said.
"I have been urging the world leaders for a while that
the nuclear safety rests with the individual governments and
they should revisit their nuclear (safety) standard," Ban
argued, emphasising that strengthening of the nuclear safety
standard should be done at the national level and coordinated
at the international level.
Referring to the danger of nuclear material and
technologies slipping into terrorists` hands, he said "there
is very serious problem and the nexus between nuclear safety
and security and we have to be vigilant against any
possibility that the nuclear materials and nuclear
technologies could slip into wrong persons, wrong governments,
and terrorist groups".
PTI
