By NNN-PTI,
Melbourne : An ambitious aim to make world free of nuclear weapons apart from the danger of such weapons falling into terrorists hands formed the part of discussions between global leaders who met at the inaugural meet of new commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and disarmament.
Speaking at the meeting yesterday, Gareth Evans, the commission’s co-chair, said world was headed for another Hiroshima or worse because of the risk of miscalculation or accident.
Evans who is the head of Kevin Rudd’s new Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament said inadequate controls were applied to at least 16,000 atomic warheads actively deployed around the world.
And further dangers lay ahead because of the threat of lost or stolen nuclear weapons falling into the hands of terrorists, he said. A particular risk was crude devices known as “dirty bombs” that could ravage cities and kill 1,00,000 people, Evans was qouted saying in “The Australian”.
“If we don’t get this right, we face a catastrophe on a massive scale,” he said.
The meet that was attended by 11 of its 15 members where India was unable to participate, discussed ambitious aim to get rid of nuclear weapons.
The commission is to make recommendations on a new anti-proliferation and disarmament treaty to be canvassed at a world conference in 2010.
Japan’s former foreign minister Yoriko Kawaguchi, who co-chairs the commission, kicked off the meeting with Evans.