UNITED NATIONS, May 5 (UPI) -- Nuclear weapons remain a threat to international security, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a session on nuclear non-proliferation in New York.
The international community convened for the Preparatory Committee for the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty.
The committee met to consider the articles of the NPT and to weigh considerations for the review conference.
Ban expressed concern over the threat posed by nuclear weapons, saying the international community was lulled into a sense of complacency following the end of the Cold War.
"Nuclear weapons remain an apocalyptic threat," he said. "We cannot afford to place disarmament and non-proliferation on a back burner."
On Iran, the secretary-general called on the leaders in Tehran to continue their cooperation with the nuclear regulatory regime in order to confirm the Iranian nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
The latest reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency said the intent of the Iranian nuclear program remains ambiguous despite years of monitoring.
Concerning the North Korean nuclear program, Ban said he was optimistic multilateral talks would prove the best option for denuclearizing the Korean peninsula.
Ban called on all parties to strengthen the nuclear regulatory regime, praising Washington's efforts to move forward with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
"If you can set us on a course toward achieving a nuclear-weapon-free world," Ban urged the delegates, "you will send a message of hope to the world."
