(News Agencies and Haaretz).The United Nations Security Council, at a historic summit meeting chaired by U.S. President Barack Obama, unanimously approved a U.S.-drafted resolution on Thursday calling on nuclear weapons states to scrap their deadly arsenals.
Russia, China and developing nations supported the U.S.-sponsored measure, giving it global clout and strong political backing.
Obama was the first American president to preside over a Security Council summit, gaveling the meeting into session and announcing that the draft resolution has been adopted unanimously.
"The historic resolution we just adopted enshrines our shared commitment to a goal of a world without nuclear weapons," Obama said immediately after the vote. "And it brings Security Council agreement on a broad framework for action to reduce nuclear dangers as we work toward that goal."
"Just one nuclear weapon set off in a major city could cause major destruction," Obama said, adding that a "nuclear war cannot be won, and must never be fought."
He said the global effort would seek to lock down all vulnerable nuclear materials within four years.
"This is not about singling out an individual nation," he said. "International law is not an empty promise, and treaties must be enforced."
"We will leave this meeting with renewed determination," Obama said.
Obama also said that all nations have "a right to peaceful nuclear energy."
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon saluted the national leaders for joining in the unprecedented Security Council summit on nuclear arms.
"This is a historic moment, a moment offering a fresh start toward a new future," he said.
Later, French President Nicolas Sarkozy told the Security Council that the international community must take immediate steps against Iran over its nuclear program.
Sarkozy added that it was right to talk about the future, but warned that Iran and North Korea were currently developing nuclear weapons and that something must be done to deal with that.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that the world should consider "far tougher sanctions" against Iran if it continues to seek a nuclear bomb.
"As evidence of its breach of international agreements grows, we must now consider far tougher sanctions together," Brown said.
Russia, China and developing nations supported the U.S.-sponsored measure, giving it global clout and strong political backing.
Obama was the first American president to preside over a Security Council summit, gaveling the meeting into session and announcing that the draft resolution has been adopted unanimously.
"The historic resolution we just adopted enshrines our shared commitment to a goal of a world without nuclear weapons," Obama said immediately after the vote. "And it brings Security Council agreement on a broad framework for action to reduce nuclear dangers as we work toward that goal."
"Just one nuclear weapon set off in a major city could cause major destruction," Obama said, adding that a "nuclear war cannot be won, and must never be fought."
He said the global effort would seek to lock down all vulnerable nuclear materials within four years.
"This is not about singling out an individual nation," he said. "International law is not an empty promise, and treaties must be enforced."
"We will leave this meeting with renewed determination," Obama said.
Obama also said that all nations have "a right to peaceful nuclear energy."
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon saluted the national leaders for joining in the unprecedented Security Council summit on nuclear arms.
"This is a historic moment, a moment offering a fresh start toward a new future," he said.
Later, French President Nicolas Sarkozy told the Security Council that the international community must take immediate steps against Iran over its nuclear program.
Sarkozy added that it was right to talk about the future, but warned that Iran and North Korea were currently developing nuclear weapons and that something must be done to deal with that.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that the world should consider "far tougher sanctions" against Iran if it continues to seek a nuclear bomb.
"As evidence of its breach of international agreements grows, we must now consider far tougher sanctions together," Brown said.