The risk of nuclear terrorism is "real" and it is only because of "sheer dumb luck" that an all-out nuclear attack has not occurred since World War II, Professor Gareth Evans of Australia said?in New York?on Monday.

"The nature of the risks are real," Evans said. "It's sheer dumb luck that we have succeeded as a world in surviving ... a major nuclear catastrophe since 1945. It's not a function of good policy or anything other than luck."

Evans, who is co-chairman of the International Commission on Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (ICNND), presented the December 2009 report "Eliminating Nuclear Threats."

The 230-page report comes in a "new environment of optimism," said Evans, noting bilateral disarmament talks between the U.S. and Russia.

An independent global panel of 15 commissioners, produced the unanimous report, which Evans called "realistic" and "pragmatic" in the way it was put together, and "not just a wish list."

There is a new opportunity for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation -- the first time since the post-Cold War years, said the report.

In May, the United Nations will hold a conference aimed at reviewing the Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT), and in April, U.S. President Barack Obama will host an international nuclear security summit.

The world has come "hellishly close to a (nuclear) catastrophe on many occasions during the Cold War, which are only now beginning to come to light after all these years," said Evans. " You cannot make any assumption at all that the status quo will continue."