Mikhail Gorbachev: Force must not be used against North Korea or Iran

From a speech by the former Soviet leader at the launch of the WMD awareness programme in London

Mankind has a chance to make the 21st century a century of peace and security. Yet the opportunities opened up by the end of the Cold War have not been used as they should have. Instead of building a truly new world order, the world's leading power engaged in geopolitical games and a struggle for spheres of influence. They underestimated the dangers posed by non-state actors and failed states. September 11 highlighted the world community's unpreparedness to deal with new threats.

The threat of terrorism should be countered by uniting the efforts of the world's nations. Today, terrorists use relatively unsophisticated weapons. Should they gain access to weapons of mass destruction, the threat would become catastrophic. This is another argument in favour of drastically reducing and ultimately abolishing nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction.

An immediate task is to strengthen the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, with the nuclear powers living up to their commitments to reduce nuclear arsenals. We must insist on implementation of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

While concerns about the nuclear programmes of countries like North Korea and Iran may be genuine, any attempt to use force to solve such problems would have disastrous consequences. Political means and diplomatic methods should be used instead.

The biggest nuclear powers - the US and Russia - still bear the greatest responsibility in reducing nuclear arms. Despite flaws, their recent treaty on strategic reductions is a step in the right direction. There is an urgent need to strengthen international law and start building a truly new world order. In building such an order, Europe - a united Europe that should include Russia - will have a key role to play.