UN Secretary-general Ban Ki- moon on Friday took note of last year's "encouraging developments" in
disarmament, pledging to advance the goal of a nuclear-weapon- free world.
"Today there is a new window of opportunity in disarmament and non-proliferation," Ban said in remarks at a roundtable meeting at the UN
Headquarters with the heads of international organizations dealing with disarmament.
He noted that a number of events in disarmament over the next few months, which include the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Review Conference in May.
"The treaty is facing a number of challenges. A successful outcome would strengthen confidence not only in the treaty but also for the collective global effort to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons," Ban said.
Other events include the upcoming session of the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva this month, the Global Zero Summit in Paris and the
Munich Security Conference, as well as April's Summit on Nuclear Security in Washington.
The secretary-general reiterated that disarmament and non- proliferation will continue to be one of his top priorities.
He also said he will continue to build support for his Action Plan for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, as well as the universality of the relevant treaties and conventions.
Presented in October 2008, the secretary-general's five-point action plan begins with a call for the parties to the NPT to pursue negotiations on nuclear disarmament, either through a new convention or through a series of
mutually reinforcing instruments backed by a credible system of verification.
In all of these efforts, the UN and the various disarmament bodies had a role to play, he stressed.
"I strongly believe in the mutual benefits of strengthened cooperation among our organizations, while fully respecting our distinct mandates and relationship agreements," he said.
"I pledge to continue to do everything in my power to advance the goal of a world free of weapons of mass destruction. I look forward to working with all of you to make this a reality," he told the gathering.
Among those participating in the meeting were the heads of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the Preparatory Commission of the Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).
The former U.S. presidential candidate,
Republican senator John McCain began on Friday a visit to Lebanon for talks with top Lebanese officials on the current regional issues.
McCain, who is accompanied by a delegation from the U.S. congress consisting of Senators John Barrasso and John Thune, met with Lebanese
President Michel Suleiman at the Presidential Palace, local news site Naharnet reported.
Suleiman told McCain that the situation is stable on the Lebanese side of the borders with Israel, as Lebanon commits to the implementation of Resolution 1701.
The Lebanese president called the international community, topped by
the United States, to pressure the Israeli side regarding the implementation of Resolution 1701 and the halting of all kinds of violations against Lebanese sovereignty.
Suleiman urged McCain to reconsider the bill adopted by the U.S. congress on sanctioning Arab satellite channels that are deemed as "inciting
hatred" against the United States, among them the Lebanese TV network Al Manar.
Earlier, the local Central News Agency said that McCain will meet Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Saad Hariri and a number of political
leaders "in order to hear their stances regarding the means of reaching a just and comprehensive peace in the region."
McCain will also discuss Lebanon's call for the international community "to pressure Israel in order to oblige it of implementing international resolutions and withdrawing from occupied territories", added the Central News Agency.
He will also discuss the stances of the various Lebanese leaders on the issue of Hezbollah's resistance in the face of Israel.
McCain's visit to Beirut came before the arrival of U.S. special envoy for Middle East peace George Mitchell to the region for talks with the leaders of Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the Palestinian authority on their stances regarding the peace process.
The Central News Agency's report revealed that a top U.S. security official will visit Lebanon next week to discuss Lebanon's military needs before the expected visit of Defense Minister Elias Murr to Washington by the end of January.