潘基文：消除核武器是联合国的首要任务
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Monday that "eliminating nuclear weapons is a top priority for the United Nations".
联合国秘书长潘基文周一宣称，“消除核武器是联合国的首要任务”。
The secretary-general made the statement in his message to the opening of a month-long review conference of the parties to the NPT. The message was read by Deputy UN Secretary-General Jan Eliasson to the conference, which runs from April 27 to May 22.
"Eliminating nuclear weapons is a top priority for the United Nations," Ban said. "No other weapon has the potential to inflict such wanton destruction on our world."
According to the UN chief, the Non-Proliferation Treaty is the cornerstone of the non-proliferation regime and an essential basis for realizing a nuclear-weapon-free world.
Conferences to review the operation of the treaty have been held at five-year intervals since the treaty went into effect in 1970. Each conference has sought to find agreement on a final declaration that would assess the implementation of the treaty's provisions and make recommendations on measures to further strengthen it.
"I call upon States parties to work hard and constructively in the coming weeks to produce an outcome that strengthens the treaty," the secretary-general said. "We need an outcome that promotes its universality, ensures compliance by all Parties with all provisions, and reinforces the NPT's principal goals which are to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and bring about their elimination."
He urged all parties to build on common ground, be inclusive and show flexibility.