UN chief calls for effort to establish nuclear-weapon-free zone in Middle East

UNITED NATIONS - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called on an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East.

In his video message to the fifth session of the conference on the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, Guterres said that the idea of such a zone stretches back across decades, but with regional conflicts raging and tensions reaching a boiling point, this goal is becoming more urgent by the day.

For over a year, Gaza has experienced a non-stop nightmare that threatens to engulf the entire region. And we are all alarmed by the escalation in Lebanon, he noted.

The UN chief called on the international community to mobilize for an immediate ceasefire, and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and the beginning of an irreversible process towards a two-State solution.

"At the same time, true, sustainable security -- in the Middle East and around the world -- depends on continuing to pursue our disarmament goals," he said.

The Pact for the Future adopted in September includes a fresh global commitment to achieve a world free of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, Guterres said. "A zone in the Middle East would represent an important step towards that goal."

He said that the recent awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Nihon Hidankyo, an organization of survivors of the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, demonstrated renewed global momentum to eliminate nuclear weapons, once and for all.

Guterres stressed the importance of establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones, saying that the work of the conference is critical to building a more peaceful future for all people -- in the Middle East and around the world.