Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon with participants before the opening session of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, D.C. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

1 April 2016 – At the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, D.C., Secretary-General Ban Ki moon has attended a working lunch with other dignitaries and in his remarks, he is expected to spotlight the crucial role played by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the area of nuclear security.

Many states lack sufficient capacity to act on nuclear security threats and this is where the IAEA role is indispensable in providing expertise, advice and technical assistance, said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.

The spokesperson also noted that the UN chief will also highlight the importance of UN Security Council resolution 1540, requiring the states to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and of the UN Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism.

On the margins of the Summit, the Secretary-General met with the President of France, François Hollande. The Secretary-General and the President discussed the situation in Western Sahara.

They also exchanged views on the situation in Mali. Mr. Ban thanked France for its continued support to the implementation of the peace agreement in Mali, for the review of the mandate of the UN Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and for tackling issues of insecurity and the re-establishment of State authority throughout the country.

He thanked France for its continued support to the democratically elected Government of the Central African Republic, underlining the need to maintain international attention on the situation in the country.

On the allegations of misconduct by peacekeeping troops in the Central African Republic (CAR), the Secretary-General and President Hollande agreed on the imperative of a thorough investigation to ensure that perpetrators be brought to justice.

Mr. Ban also met with the President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko and commended the country for its important contribution to global nuclear security.

Regarding the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, Mr. Ban expressed his deep concern over the precariousness of the security situation and reiterated the urgent need for full implementation of the Minsk agreements. President Poroshenko also updated the Secretary-General on the domestic political situation in Ukraine.

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