U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Friday the world should strengthen the rule of law to address challenges of nuclear terrorism, calling for "new efforts" on a global nuclear security governance.

Ban, who is on a four-nation tour through Asia that will highlight the second Nuclear Security Summit set for next week in South Korea, made the remarks in a written message for a nuclear academic forum held on Friday in Seoul.

"We know from the tragic events at Fukushima and Chernobyl that nuclear safety is truly a global challenge," Ban said in the statement. "Nuclear accidents anywhere can affect people everywhere."

The Seoul summit is "focused not on past crises but on preventing future tragedies, by proactively facing the many challenges of nuclear terrorism," Ban said.

"Strengthening the rule of law is a key priority," Ban said.

"This will require new efforts to achieve universal adherence to and more effective implementation of relevant international legal instruments."

"The United Nations has a key role to play in this respect," he said.

In the aftermath of Japan's Fukushima nuclear disaster, calls have grown for the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to carry out more stringent inspections and for better cooperation and crisis management among nuclear regulators around the world.

The potential threat of nuclear terrorism was highlighted by the Fukushima disaster because it showcased the extent of potential damage if terrorists were to sabotage key systems of a nuclear power plant such as a power supply or cooling system, experts said.

Representatives from 58 nations and four international organizations, including 45 heads of state, plan to attend the two-day Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul starting Monday.

The inaugural summit was held in Washington two years ago and the second Seoul summit is aimed at laying out more specific actions to secure the management of loose nuclear materials, guarantee radiological security and combat illicit trafficking.

While the nuclear summit is primarily aimed at preventing loose nuclear materials from falling into the hands of terrorists, organizers said the issue of nuclear safety would loom large following Japan's Fukushima disaster.

"No country can tackle such issues alone," Ban said, urging the international community to "take a holistic view of nuclear safety, nuclear security, nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation." (Yonhap News)