UN conference wraps with plea for a farewell to arms

A three-day UN-sponsored conference concluded in Sri Lanka yesterday with a declaration against the production and distribution of weapons of mass destruction.“Measures shall be taken to ward off such production and distribution as a matter of great urgency,” a declaration agreed to by representatives of 72 countries said.The talks coincided with Vesak Day celebrations, the most important day on the Buddhist calendar, marking the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha.The conference was opened on Friday by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and closed yesterday by Nepali President Bidhya Devi Bhandari.The nations also resolved to collaborate with each other and international agencies to work toward achieving peace and harmony, Sri Lankan Justice Minister Wijayadasa Rajapakshe said.The conference was titled “Buddhist Teachings for Social Justice and Sustainable World Peace” and had more than 400 representatives in attendance.In 1999, Sri Lanka’s former foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgamar put forward a resolution in the UN to have Vesak Day recognised internationally.He was assassinated by Tamil rebels in Colombo in 2005.