Annan welcomes new code of conduct against spread of ballistic missiles

The United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, today welcomed a new global code of conduct against the spread of ballistic missiles, calling it a "positive step" towards international peace and security.

In a statement issued by a UN spokesman in New York, the Secretary-General noted that the "accumulation, technical refinement, proliferation, use or threat of use of ballistic and other types of missiles has long been a source of concern to the international community."

The International Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation, as a voluntary, non-legally binding instrument, "is a positive step towards preventing the proliferation of ballistic missiles and towards international peace and security," the statement said.

At the same time, the Secretary-General stressed the need to continue international efforts to deal with the issue of missiles in its totality. "There is no universally accepted norm or instrument specifically governing the development, testing, production, acquisition, transfer, deployment or use of missiles," the statement noted, anticipating additional measures that will address this and related concerns.