General Assembly holds interactive panel discussion on “The Path to Zero: The Role of the United Nations in Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation”

September 6, 2013

The General Assembly convened on 5 September 2013 an informal meeting to mark the International Day against Nuclear Tests. In acclaiming Kazakhstan’s steps to outlaw nuclear weapons testing and advance global nuclear disarmament, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and General Assembly President Vuk Jeremić (Serbia) called upon all Member States that had not yet done so to sign and ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). The Secretary-General’s message was delivered by Angela Kane, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs.

Statement from the President of the United Nations General Assembly

Statement from the Secretary-General

Statement from the Republic of Kazakhstan

Following the introductory statements, the Assembly held an interactive panel discussion on the theme “The Path to Zero: The Role of the United Nations in Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation.”

Moderated by Eduardo Ulibarri, the Permanent Representative of Costa Rica, it featured five panelists: Angela Kane, United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Affairs; Andreas Riecken, Deputy Permanent Representative of Austria to the United Nations; Lassina Zerbo, Executive Secretary, Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty; Geoffrey Shaw, Representative of the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency to the United Nations; and Andrew S. Kanter, M.D., Immediate Past President, Physicians for Social Responsibility and co-Vice President for North America, International Physicians for Prevention of Nuclear War. The lead Discussant of the event was Enrique Román-Morey, the Permanent Representative of Peru. His remarks were followed by an interactive dialogue with representatives of Member States.