UN RESOLUTION: Unanimous on Nuclear disarmament

The UN Security Council has unanimously adopted a resolution calling for nuclear disarmament, in a session chaired by US President Barack Obama.

The resolution calls for further efforts to stop the spread of nuclear arms, to boost disarmament and to lower the risk of “nuclear terrorism”. It was the first time a US president had chaired a Security Council summit. The resolution comes amid growing concerns among Western powers over Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

President Obama made a forceful call Wednesday for a new era in global relations, urging the United Nations to move past old divisions and disputes to reassert itself as a leading force in confronting the most pressing issues of today.

In his first speech as president to the U.N. General Assembly, Obama sought to distance his young administration from unilateral policies of his predecessor, while pledging a U.S. commitment to work with the United Nations in forging a better common future for all.

“The United States stands ready to begin a new chapter of international cooperation — one that recognizes the rights and responsibilities of all nations,” Obama said in concluding a speech that received strong applause.

“The historic resolution we just adopted enshrines our shared commitment to the goal of a world without nuclear weapons,” Mr Obama told the Security Council after the resolution was adopted. He said the next year would be “absolutely critical in determining whether this resolution and our overall efforts to stop the spread and use of nuclear weapons are successful”.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called the resolution “a fresh start toward a new future”. The resolution does not specifically mention countries by name, such as North Korea and Iran, but reaffirms previous Security Council resolutions relating to their nuclear plans.

The resolution commits member nations to work toward a world without nuclear weapons, and endorses a broad framework of actions to reduce global nuclear risks.