UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has warned that the UN Conference on Disarmament could fail because of a three-year stalemate over Pakistan's reluctance to discuss nuclear power.
In a statement in Geneva, Ban said this distinguished body is no longer living up to expectations.
Warning the delegates from 65 countries, Ban said that the tide of disarmament is rising, yet the Conference on Disarmament is in danger of sinking. The UN chief lamented that the practice of deciding by consensus is currently used as a de facto veto power to stall every attempt to break the impasse.
Urging the immediate start of nuclear negotiations, Ban said the future of the conference is in the hands of member states.
Citing national security, Pakistan has since May 2009 balked at implementing a work programme established by the UN conference, blocking the resumption of nuclear talks.
