Secretary-General Welcomes United States’ Commitment towards Nuclear-Weapon-Free

 

World, upon Formal Release Today of Country’s Nuclear Posture Review

 

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General takes note of the release of a Nuclear Posture Review by the United States of America.

The Secretary-General welcomes President [Barack] Obama’s reaffirmation of his commitment towards a nuclear-weapon-free world.  Following the recent successful conclusion of negotiations between the Russian Federation and the United States for a successor agreement to the Treaty on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (START), the release of this new Nuclear Posture Review is a timely initiative in that direction.  The Secretary-General hopes that this will help keep the recent positive momentum in the lead-up to the upcoming Nuclear Security Summit and the Review Conference of Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT Review Conference).

The Secretary-General looks forward to the leadership of the United States in cooperation with other nuclear-weapon States, on further reducing and eliminating the role of nuclear weapons in security policies, which would contribute to nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.

As Secretary-General of the United Nations, he renews his firm commitment to advancing nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation and facilitating success at the upcoming NPT Review Conference in May.

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For information media • not an official record