New York, September 27 (teleSUR-RHC)-- Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez has requested that the United Nations ban nuclear weapons to prevent any serious risk of catastrophic damage to the human race. The statement was made Friday at the United Nations meeting to commemorate the first International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

"There is no excuse that humanity has yet to face the existence of over 16,000 nuclear weapons, as 4,000 are still set for immediate deployment, years after the untruthful end of the Cold War,” the minister warned.

The Cuban official said the international meeting represents a perfect juncture to plan an international convention for total disarmament in 20 years, starting with multilateral negotiations next year.

Rodríguez also reminded the Assembly that Latin America and the Caribbean was declared a peace zone committed to nuclear disarmament during the Second Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) held in Havana on January 29, 2014.