“Some might complain that nuclear disarmament is little more than a dream. But that ignores the very tangible benefits disarmament would bring for all humankind,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said at the meeting, held on the margins of the Assembly’s high-level General Debate.

“Its success would strengthen international peace and security. It would free up vast and much-needed resources for social and economic development. It would advance the rule of law. It would spare the environment and help keep nuclear materials from terrorist or extremist groups. And it would remove a layer of fear that clouds all of human existence.”

In particular, Mr. Ban appealed to nuclear-weapon States to intensify their efforts to cooperate with the international community and move towards disarmament.

“Today, I once again call upon the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to demonstrate its commitment towards verifiable de-nuclearization,” he said. “I urge the Islamic Republic of Iran to fulfil its pledge to enhance the transparency of its nuclear programme.”

The Secretary-General also urged countries that have not yet done so to accede to the UN-backed Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as well as the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).

Having entered into force in 1970, the NPT aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament. The CTBT bans all nuclear explosions in all environments, for military or civilian purposes. It was adopted by the General Assembly in September 1996 but has not yet entered into force.

Mr. Ban stressed that he would continue to explore ways to advance disarmament efforts and support existing ones, including the five-point plan he put forward in 2008 that includes recommendations on increasing security, verification, establishing a legal framework for nuclear disarmament, transparency and conventional weapons.

The President of the General Assembly, John Ashe, reminded States of the link between the post-2015 development agenda and nuclear disarmament, emphasizing that less resources to weapons stockpiles translates into more resources for development.

“As we put time, resources and energy into maintaining and expanding this ever increasing weaponry complex, we divert resources from education, healthcare, poverty reduction, and the overall goal to move towards more sustainable development,” he said.

“I urge you to devote part of the resources made available by the implementation of disarmament and arms limitation agreements to economic and social development.”

Mr. Ashe noted that while the General Assembly has repeatedly stated its commitment to nuclear disarmament through numerous resolutions, treaties and initiatives, concrete and meaningful progress has not been achieved yet. In this context, he urged Member States to renew and strengthen their commitment to achieve this goal.

“Today’s historic high-level meeting provides an opportunity to honour the vision of the Millennium Declaration and to renew our commitment to a world free of fear,” he said. “Building on today’s meeting and the work many of you are already doing, we can make significant progress – to advancing the agenda before us and to creating a world that honours what we all truly value: security, prosperity and peace and human well-being.”

In a statement to a General Assembly meeting on the UN agency’s activities over the past year, the head of the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Director-General Yukiya Amano, told delegates that nuclear power is safer than before the Fukushima Daiichi disaster:

“Measures have been taken to improve protection against extreme hazards such as earthquakes and tsunamis. Countries are upgrading their emergency preparedness and response capabilities. Our programme of expert peer review services is being expanded.”

Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was severely damaged during a March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, when the building housing the plant exploded, and three of its nuclear reactors suffered a meltdown in what was reported to be the worst nuclear accident since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

Despite the accident and subsequent spread of anti-nuclear sentiment around the world, Mr. Amano noted that the IAEA’s latest projections showed a steady rise in the number of nuclear power plants in the next 20 years, with the majority being constructed in Asia. At the same time, he reported that established users such as China, India, the Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation had planned “significant expansions” of their respective nuclear programmes.

The IAEA chief also addressed the agency’s safeguards activities in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Iran and Syria. He noted that the IAEA had “credible information” indicating that Iran had carried out “activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device.”

The Director-General added that the agency remains “firmly committed to intensifying dialogue” with Iran and urged the country to provide clarification regarding the exclusively peaceful nature of its nuclear programme. Iran says the programme is for peaceful purposes of energy production but many countries fear it is aimed at attaining nuclear weapons capability.

Addressing the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Mr. Amano stated that he remains concerned about the country’s nuclear programme, and described its statements about uranium enrichment activities as troubling.

In addition, the UN official also underlined the IAEA’s efforts in countering nuclear terrorism: “Our work focuses on helping minimize the risk of nuclear and other radioactive material falling into the hands of terrorists, or of nuclear facilities being subjected to malicious acts.”

Mr. Amano said that over 12,000 people in more than 120 countries had been trained in nuclear security by the IAEA in the past decade, and announced that the agency had submitted background documentation ahead of a planned conference on the establishment of a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East scheduled for later this year.

“The Secretary-General hopes that, in advance of the forthcoming technical and political meetings, the parties strengthen their resolve to quickly achieve a negotiated solution that restores international confidence in an Iranian nuclear programme that could be deemed exclusively peaceful,” stated a note issued by Mr. Ban’s spokesperson.

“In this connection, the Secretary-General appeals to the parties to resume their diplomatic engagement with renewed intensity and with the utmost flexibility,” the spokesperson added.

According to media reports, the talks in the Russian capital on Monday and Tuesday failed to make any progress. A technical discussion is scheduled for 3 July in Istanbul, Turkey.

Iran has repeatedly stated that its nuclear programme is for the peaceful purpose of providing energy, but many countries contend it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.

The issue has been of international concern since the discovery in 2003 that Iran had concealed its nuclear activities for 18 years in breach of its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

In 2011, the Security Council imposed a fourth round of sanctions against Iran, citing the proliferation risks of its nuclear programme and its continued failure to cooperate with the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).