UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday paid tribute to those affected by the Chernobyl nuclear accident, and called for steps to further examine and strengthen nuclear safety.

"At a time when both the adverse effects of climate change and the demand for nuclear energy are expected to grow, serious global debate on how to ensure the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and maximum safety has assumed great significance," Ban said in a statement.

The worst nuclear accident in history occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant on April 26, 1986, impacting areas of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia. Ban and representatives from affected countries marked the anniversary by ringing the UN peace bell outside the global organization's headquarters in the east part of Manhattan, New York City.

"Once again, I call on the international community to support the full recovery of all communities affected by the Chernobyl disaster," Ban said. "Science tells us that normal life is fully possible for most people in these areas, but investment and jobs are crucial."

The secretary-general emphasized the importance of the UN Action Plan on Chernobyl, which will help recovery and development in affected areas.

He recently returned from a visit to Eastern Europe where he visited the Chernobyl site and addressed the Kiev Summit on the Safe and Innovative Use of Nuclear Energy.

Following the bell ringing ceremony, the UN General Assembly held a special commemorative session on Chernobyl. At this session, Ban said that he laid out a five-point plan for the future of nuclear safety at the Kiev summit.

Ban told the assembly that his new plan includes reviews of national and international safety standards and the connection between safe nuclear power and natural disasters, as well as strengthening the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

"We must treat nuclear safety as seriously as we treat nuclear weapons," he said.

Ban explained that he has also called for a gathering of global leaders to discuss nuclear safety issues, which have become more prominent recently with the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan.

"It is time to face the facts," Ban said. "Issues of nuclear power and safety are not purely matters of national policy; they are a matter of global public interest. That is why in September, I will convene a meeting of world leaders to take a hard look at all these issues. It is time to undertake serious global debate on this issue at the level of global leaders."

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet