Singapore has called upon the world to act before it is too late to get rid of nuclear threat at the first meeting of the Nuclear Threat Initiative held in the country on November 19-20.

"It makes for a more riskier global environment now than ever before,” Singapore’s Foreign Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam addressed the opening ceremony.

Though the global nuclear stockpiles have decreased from Cold War times from 70,000 nuclear warheads in 1986 to the lowest level in 45 years, the number of nuclear weapon states has grown from three to nine and more than 30 others have the ability to quickly acquire them, he said.

The first meeting of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a non-profit, non-partisan organisation, gathered 30 high-profile global leaders to address urgent global nuclear threats and outline key steps to reduce nuclear dangers around the world.

The event also saw former US Secretary of State George Shultz, former US Defence Secretary William Perry and former Senator Sam Nunn.-VNA