UN General Assembly
2006

The situation in Iraq is serious, with its negative impact on security in the region and beyond and with untold suffering of innocent civilians. We need to help the Iraqi people build a future free from war and internal strife. With an estimated 27,000 nuclear weapons in the world, we have to make progress in addressing the threat posed by weapons of mass destruction. Disarmament and non-proliferation are crucial to world security. They are interlinked. We must press ahead for progress on both issues. The international community’s concerns over Iran’s nuclear programme must be met. No one wishes to see an isolated Iran. Our wish is for Iran to take its rightful place among nations in international cooperation. But neither would we like to see an Iran that pursues a nuclear weapons option. The Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission, led by Mr. Hans Blix, has presented a large number of constructive recommendations in its report, entitled “Weapons of Terror”. These recommendations offer a way forward towards disarmament and non-proliferation. There are over 1.1 billion people living in abject