The Philippines has called on countries possessing nuclear weapons to “take urgent steps” to reduce and eventually eliminate their nuclear arsenals.

Ambassador Hilario Davide Jr., the country’s permanent representative to the UN, made the plea following what he called “positive developments” on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, particularly the recent Security Council Summit chaired by United States (US) President Barack Obama.

“The Philippines welcomes such statements and pronouncements calling for a world free of nuclear weapons but it would welcome even more concrete action and definitive plans on how to achieve the objective of global disarmament,” Davide said in his statement before the First Committee of the General Assembly.

The former Philippine Chief Justice also commended the Russian Federation and the US — old Cold War foes — for agreeing to have a follow-on agreement to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.

Saying the current global political climate presents countries with the best opportunity to make progress towards disarmament and nonproliferation, Davide, who is also Vice Chairman of the First Committee, said the international community must act together with all the political will it can muster to rid the world of nuclear weapons once and for all.

“The Philippines submits that the elimination of nuclear weapons is the only guarantee against — or the only way to save humanity from — the use or threat of use of such weapons.”

The challenge is to develop a mechanism that will bring all possessors of nuclear arms into a multilateral undertaking that would lead to global nuclear disarmament, the envoy said.