UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday called for accelerated negotiations to achieve a much-needed reform of the UN Security Council, citing significant changes on the international political scene over the last 60 years.

He asked the member states to “expedite the text-based negotiations” for urgent reform of the Security Council so as to “determine the exact modalities,” noting that India is one of the aspirants for the permanent membership.

“As a SG I will coordinate and try to create the atmosphere so that the member states can accelerate their negotiations,” he told the news agency during a press conference at the end of his visit to Geneva.

“I know that India is one of the aspirants for the permanent members of the UN Security Council,” he said, emphasising that members states must expedite the text-based negotiations.

“The third draft text has been submitted and has become the subject of negotiations,” said Ban, arguing that “as for the modalities, and exact modalities, this is something that member states should determine through the negotiations”.

He said there is growing support among the member states for the urgent reform of the Security Council which should be “reformed and expanded in a more democratic and more representative and more transparent manner”.

Ban said “significant changes in the international political scenes during the last six decades” call for an urgent reform of the Security Council without further delay.

Asked to comment on the growing opposition from the people in India to nuclear energy and setting up of new nuclear plants, the UN chief said governments must revisit their nuclear safety standards all over again.

“We have seen tragic consequences of the Chernobyl, and Fukushima Daichi nuclear accidents (in Japan) recently,” he said.

“I have been urging the world leaders for a while that the nuclear safety rests with the individual governments and they should revisit their nuclear (safety) standard,” Ban argued, emphasising that strengthening of the nuclear safety standard should be done at the national level and coordinated at the international level.

Referring to the danger of nuclear material and technologies slipping into terrorists’ hands, he said “there is very serious problem and the nexus between nuclear safety and security and we have to be vigilant against any possibility that the nuclear materials and nuclear technologies could slip into wrong persons, wrong governments, and terrorist groups”.

The UN is convening a high-level summit of leaders on September 22 to discuss the nexus between the nuclear security and safety.

He acknowledged the growing concern about “safety of nuclear energy”, stressing that strengthening of the standards and non-proliferation are important.

Ban said nuclear energy provides an alternative, particularly to address climate change challenge.