UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) to use the occasion of the 2020 NPT Review Conference to recommit to the deal
VIENNA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th September, 2019) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) to use the occasion of the 2020 NPT Review Conference to recommit to the deal.
"Next years marks the 50th anniversary of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. This landmark treaty remains the cornerstone of the nuclear non-proliferation regime and the International Atomic Energy Agency has played a crucial in verifying its implementation. Safeguards verified by the agency are essential to ensure that nuclear power is used exclusively for peaceful purposes. I use the state parties to use the upcoming review conference to recommit to the three pillars of the treaty - disarmament, non-proliferation and the peaceful use of nuclear energy," Guterres said in a statement read by Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Yuri Fedotov during the IAEA General Conference's plenary session.
The UN chief also thanked the agency for their continued efforts to verify the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) by Iran.
"However, rising tensions over the Iranian nuclear issue are increasingly worrying. Sustained dialogue is essential to ensure peace and stability in the region," the statement said.
Guterres also paid tribute to late IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano, who passed away in July.
"His commitment and expertise over the past ten years steered the Agency to many achievements. He will be greatly missed. I also thank Acting Director General Cornel Feruta for assuming the temporary leadership of the Agency and continuing this important work," the statement said.
The NPT was signed on July 1, 1968, and went into effect in March 1970. It is the most widely subscribed to nuclear arms control deal, with 190 states as parties. Nuclear-armed India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan and South Sudan have so far refused to sign the pact.
