International Day Against Nuclear Tests 2016, August 29

International Day Against Nuclear Tests, 29 August.
Día Internacional contra los Ensayos Nucleares, 29 de agosto.
Journée internationale contre les essais nucléaires, 29 août.
禁止核试验国际日, 8月29日.
Международный день действий против ядерных испытаний, 29 августа.
اليوم الدولي لمناهضة التجارب النووية, 29 آب/أغسطس



August 29

Message by the President of the United Nations General Assembly on the International Day against Nuclear Tests 2016, August 29th

Through its resolution 64/35, the General Assembly designated 29 August as the International Day against Nuclear Tests. It was on this day, 25 years ago, that the Semipalatinsk nuclear weapon test site in Kazakhstan, one of the largest nuclear weapon test sites in the world, was closed. To mark this 25th anniversary and to contribute to the call of Resolution 64/35 to enhance awareness and education about the effects of nuclear test explosions and the need for their cessation, I will convene an informal plenary meeting on 31 August 2016,from 10:00 to 13:00, in the Trusteeship Council Chamber (the programme of the event will be circulated in due course). This year we are also marking the 20th anniversary of the opening for signature of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and the 10th anniversary of the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone treaty. The CTBT helps to prevent nuclear explosions that would cause unimaginable damage to the environment and human health. It must also be seen, however, as an important tool in our endeavour to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons. In this regard I would also like to add my voice to the call to the states that have not yet done so to sign and ratify CTBT to enable its entry into force. In addition, moratoriums on nuclear testing have had a positive impact on the international security environment. Tests conducted by the only violator in this century were strongly condemned by the international community and I join in that condemnation. Finally, this day we should also remind ourselves of the need for continued systematic and sustained efforts to reduce nuclear weapons globally and to fulfil the ultimate objective - general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control. After all, the Iranian nuclear deal with the international community demonstrates that if there is political will, there are solutions.

 

H.E. Mr. Mogens Lykketoft, President of the United Nations General-Assembly.

 

 

Statement by the U.N.Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon on the International Day Against Nuclear Tests 2016, August 29th.

 

For nearly a decade as United Nations Secretary-General, I have witnessed many of the worst problems in the world as well as our collective ability to respond in ways that at times seemed impossible. Our ambitious new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change have demonstrated the power of political will to break longstanding deadlocks. On this International Day against Nuclear Tests, I call on the world to summon a sense of solidarity commensurate with the urgent need to end the dangerous impasse on this issue. Today marks a quarter of a century since the closure of the Semipalatinsk test site in Kazakhstan, ground zero for more than 450 nuclear tests. The victims there are joined by others scattered across Central Asia, North Africa, North America and the South Pacific. A prohibition on all nuclear testing will end this poisonous legacy. It will boost momentum for other disarmament measures by showing that multilateral cooperation is possible, and it will build confidence for other regional security measures, including a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction. When I visited Semipalatinsk in 2010, I saw the toxic damage – but I also witnessed the resolve of the victims and survivors. I share their determination to strive for a world free of nuclear weapons. Since its adoption 20 years ago by the General Assembly, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty has yet to enter into force. Given the catastrophic risks posed by nuclear weapons to our collective human and environmental security – even our very existence – we must reject this stalemate. I urge Member States to act now. Those States whose ratification is required to bring the Treaty into force should not wait for others. Even one ratification can act as a circuit breaker. All States that have not done so should sign and ratify because every ratification strengthens the norm of universality and shines a harsher spotlight on the countries that fail to act. On this Day, I call on all countries and peoples to work for the CTBT’s entry into force as soon as possible so that we may advance toward a nuclear-weapon-free world.

 

Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General.

 

 

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is shown the CTBTO's Operations Centre

Challenges in addressing proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, their means of delivery and related materials

 

 

News :

 

- INTERVIEW: The Syrian forces and ISIL used toxic Chemical weapons – report

- Workshops, training and exercises; The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization.

Conférences Audio/Video :

Live broadcasting: International Day Against Nuclear Tests 2016 - United Nations General Assembly, informal meeting and Panel discussion. - 31 Aug. 2016.

- Informal meeting to mark the observance of the International Day against Nuclear Tests. The opening segment will be followed by a moderated panel discussion on the theme “Strengthening the global norm against nuclear tests – CTBT@20”.  Close International Day Against Nuclear Tests - Gerneral Assembly, informal meeting and panel discussionTweet Thumbnail The Week Ahead- starting 29 August 2016 UN Web TV

 

° Mogens Lykketoft, President of the United Nations General Assembly at the informal meeting to mark the observance of the International Day Against Nuclear Tests 2016 . The opening segment will be followed by a moderated panel discussion on the theme “Strengthening the global norm against nuclear tests – CTBT@20”. UN Web TV

° Kim Won-soo, High Representative for United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, on behalf of Secretary-General at the informal meeting to mark the observance of the International Day Against Nuclear Tests 2016.
The opening segment will be followed by a moderated panel discussion on the theme “Strengthening the global norm against nuclear tests – CTBT@20”. UN Web TV

° CTBTO chief calls on world to say "never" to nuclear testing

The endeavour towards a world free of nuclear testing is “all about what we want to prepare for the future generation,” according to Lassina Zerbo, Executive Secretary of The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO). In an interview with the UN News Centre, to mark the International Day Against Nuclear weapons testing (observed by the UN General Assembly today, 31 August, 2016), Dr. Zerbo highlighted the world's technical and political achievements since the adoption of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) in 1996. Decrying the fact that the Treaty is yet to be ratified by eight countries, the Executive Secretary urged the international community to mobilise political will in expediting the Treaty’s entry into force. UN Web TV #IDANT

 

 

Events :

Observance  in 2016.

 

 Informal Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly to mark the Observance of the International Day Against Nuclear Tests 2016.

 

The Meeting is convened by H.E. Mr. Mogens Lykketoft, President of the United Nations General Assembly.

Date: Wednesday, 31 August 2016
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m....
Venue: Trusteeship Council, United Nations Headquarters

Opening Statements by:
•H.E. Mogens Lykketoft, President of the General Assembly
• Message on behalf of the Secretary-General to be delivered by Mr. Kim Won-soo, Under-Secretary General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs
•H.E. Kairat Abdrakhmanov, Permanent Representative of Permanent Mission of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the United Nations
High-Level Panel on “STRENGTHENING THE GLOBAL NORM AGAINST NUCLEAR TESTS – CTBT@20”.
The official Opening Ceremony will be followed by a High-Level Interactive Panel on the above theme. The distinguished experts will reflect on the progress made to date, current and emerging challenges, and opportunities to strengthen the global norm against nuclear tests.
Moderator
H.E. Cristian Istrate, Chair of the CTBT Prep Com, Vienna
Speakers
•Mr. Kim Won-soo, Under Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs
•Dr. Lassina Zerbo, Executive Secretary, Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization
•H.E. Amatlain Elizabeth Kabua, Permanent Mission of the Marshall Islands to the United Nations
•H.E. Laura Elena Flores Herrera, Permanent Representative of the Permanent Representative of Panama to the United Nations
•Mr. Randy Rydell, Mayors for Peace
The panel will be followed by observations and questions from Member States and observers.
Entry
The Informal Meeting is open to all diplomats, think-tanks, the academic community, civil society and the media. Those without a UN Grounds Pass interested in these events should kindly contact Rsvpkzevents@gmail.com or tel.: 1 (212) 230-1900, ext. 301.

 

International Day against Nuclear Tests 2015, August 29th

 禁止核试验国际日, 8月29日.
 Международный день действий против ядерных испытаний, 29 августа.
 International Day Against Nuclear Tests, 29 August.
 Día Internacional contra los Ensayos Nucleares‬, ‪29 de Agosto‬.
 Journée internationale contre les essais nucléaires, 29 Août.
اختبارات اليوم الدولي لمكافحة النووية , 29 آب/أغسطس

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Message on the International Day Against Nuclear Tests 2015.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the dawn of the nuclear age. Seven decades ago, the Trinity Test unleashed the power of more than 20,000 tons of TNT and precipitated over 2,000 additional nuclear tests.
Pristine environments and populated communities in Central Asia, North Africa, North America and the South Pacific were hit. Many have never recovered from the resulting environmental, health and economic damage.
Poisoned groundwater, cancer, leukaemia, radioactive fallout – these are among the poisonous legacies of nuclear testing.
The best way to honour the victims of past tests is to prevent any in the future.
The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty is essential for the elimination of nuclear weapons. It is a legally-binding, verifiable means by which to constrain the quantitative and qualitative development of nuclear weapons.
Nearly two decades after the CTBT was negotiated, the time has long past
for its entry-into-force.
I welcome the voluntary moratoria on testing imposed by nuclear-armed States. At the same time, I stress that these cannot substitute for a legally-binding Treaty.
On this International Day, I repeat my longstanding call on all remaining States to sign and ratify the Treaty – especially the eight necessary for its entry-into-force – as a critical step on the road to a nuclear-weapon-free world.

Ban Ki-moon

Message by the President of the 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on the International Day against Nuclear Tests 2015, August 29th.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the first nuclear weapon test, carried out in New Mexico in July 1945. In the months following that test, the General Assembly adopted its first resolution calling for the elimination of all weapons of mass destruction. Furthermore, in 2009, the General Assembly adopted resolution 64/35, designating 29 August as the International Day against Nuclear Tests.
This year’s commemoration of the International Day against Nuclear Tests presents an opportunity to raise awareness and educate the public about this critical issue. Education can play a key role in building mutual understanding, promoting peace, and advocating for disarmament. We should make use of this occasion to engage with civil society, the media and academia, to work together towards a world free of nuclear weapons.
Despite the grave impacts of nuclear weapons testing on human lives, the environment, and international peace and security; the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) has still not entered into force. During its current session, the United Nations General Assembly has reiterated its firm commitment to the Treaty. I would like to use this occasion to stress the vital importance and urgency of its signature and ratification, without delay, in order to realize the CTBT’s early entry into force.
The recently held 2015 Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) has highlighted the stark reality of the increasing divisions between the States parties over the future of nuclear disarmament. It is now time to bridge the gap and work with more resolute political will to ensure that the NPT continues to remain the cornerstone of global security. 
I applaud the efforts of the Government of Kazakhstan, not only for initiating the International Day against Nuclear Tests, but also for its continuing leadership in efforts to end nuclear weapons testing and to promote a world free of nuclear weapons.
I also commend the recent announcement of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran’s nuclear programme, reached in Vienna between the E3 + 3 and Iran as an important step forward on this critical issue. I hope this agreement will benefit the non-proliferation regime and will lead to greater mutual understanding and cooperation on the many serious security challenges in the Middle East and beyond. 
As President of the General Assembly, I will convene an informal meeting of the plenary of the General Assembly to mark this important international day on 10 September 2015 under the overall theme “Towards Zero: Resolving the Contradictions”.     

Sam Kahamba Kutesa

Message by the Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-­‐Test-­‐Ban Treaty Organization Lassina Zerbo for  the International Day Against Nuclear Tests 2015.

Banning nuclear weapons testing – an unfinished business In Japan earlier this month, I had the privilege to meet Makoto Takahara, who was 17 when the nuclear bomb detonated over his home city Hiroshima. Hearing his first-­‐hand account of the horrors he witnessed then once again put into sharp focus for me the threat posed by nuclear weapons. I am proud to support the Hibakusha, as the survivors are known, in calling on the world: No more Hiroshima; no more Nagasaki. The more than 2,000 nuclear tests conducted during the Cold War paved the way for the development of weapons that dwarf the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs in explosive power. Populations downwind from the test sites paid with their health and often their lives. One of the most affected areas was Semipalatinsk in Kazakhstan.

August 29 marks the day of the first nuclear test at Semipalatinsk, as well as the site’s closure in 1991 by the newly independent Kazakhstan. At the country’s initiative, the date has been commemorated since 2010 as the International Day against Nuclear Tests. August 29 serves as reminder that banning nuclear testing remains unfinished business. The Comprehensive Nuclear-­‐Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), in spite of enjoying near-­‐universal support, has yet to become legally binding due to its exceptionally demanding entry into force clause, which prescribes that all 44 countries listed in the Treaty as nuclear technology holders must ratify. Of these, eight still remain: China, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, and the United States.

The Treaty has nonetheless gone a long way in limiting and stigmatizing nuclear testing, largely due to a robust verification regime which is nearly fully operational. Only a handful of nuclear tests have been conducted since the Treaty was adopted in 1996 and only one country, North Korea, has tested in this century.

Entry into force of the Treaty will require political leadership and determination at all levels, but once the ban on all nuclear testing is a legal reality, the world will have taken the first concrete step towards answering the call of Hibakusha to banish nuclear weapons from the face of the earth, and to guarantee No more Hiroshima; no more Nagasaki.

Lassina Zerbo

Forum : International Day against Nuclear Tests - 29 August

Events :  Informal Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly  to mark the 2015 Observance of the International Day against Nuclear Tests, Thursday September 10th.

Exhibition : To mark this year’s International Day Against Nuclear Tests an exhibition of art related to nuclear testing and nuclear weapons by artists from Austria, China, Kazakhstan, and the United States was on display at the Vienna International Centre. It culminated in a formal event on the eve of the Day itself which was attended by a large number of representatives of the Vienna diplomatic community, NGOs and media. The Chinese Artists’ Association and the Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan to the International Organizations in Vienna supported the exhibition and the event.

International Day against Nuclear Tests 2015 – Towards a Safer World

International Day against Nuclear Tests 2014, August 29th

International Day against Nuclear Tests, August 29th
Día Internacional contra los Ensayos Nucleares, 29 de Augusto
Journée internationale contre les essais nucléaires, 29 Août.
禁止核试验国际日, 29月8日.
 Международный день действий против ядерных испытаний, 29 августа.
 اليوم الدولي لمناهضة التجارب النووية، , 29 آب/أغسطس

Internationa Day Against Nuclear Test, 29 august 2014

Today is a reminder that the world is united against the devastating effects of nuclear testing on the lives of people and the environment. It’s a reminder that the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) must enter into force. The CTBT not only closes the door on nuclear testing -- it is a critical step towards the elimination of nuclear weapons. CTBTO Executive Secretary Lassina Zerbo

 According to the resolution establishing it, the International Day against Nuclear Tests aims to prevent more of the “devastating and harmful effects on the lives and health of people and the environment” caused by nuclear testing. Over 2,000 Nuclear Tests have been conducted since the very first nuclear explosion, the Trinity test on 16 July 1945 in New Mexico, United States. Together, the fallout from these tests dwarfed the amount of radioactivity released into the environment from any nuclear accident.

 Currently 183 States have signed the Treaty and 162 have ratified it (see interactive map). However for the CTBT to enter into force, eight States - from a list of 44 defined as nuclear technology holders - have yet to ratify to meet the Treaty’s stringent entry into force requirement: China, DPRK, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, Pakistan and the United States.

United Nations Secretary-General's message for the fifth observance of the International Day against Nuclear tests in 2014.

On this day in 1991, Kazakhstan closed the nuclear test site near Semipalatinsk. On that same date in 1949, the Soviet Union conducted its first nuclear test, followed by another 455 nuclear tests over succeeding decades, with a terrible effect on the local population and environment.
These tests and the hundreds more that followed in other countries became hallmarks of a nuclear arms race, in which human survival depended on the doctrine of mutually assured destruction, known by its fitting acronym, MAD.
As Secretary-General, I have had many opportunities to meet with some of the courageous survivors of nuclear weapons and nuclear tests in Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Semipalatinsk. Their resolve and dedication should continue to guide our work for a world without nuclear weapons. 
On this International Day against Nuclear Tests, let us all take a fresh look at those survivors’ stories.  Listen to their words and imagine the effects of these detonations as if they were experienced by each of us.  Only then can we can better understand the imperative to renew our commitment to a world free of nuclear weapons and nuclear tests.
I wish to appeal particularly to citizens of those States that have not yet ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), especially the eight remaining Annex 2 States whose ratification is required for the Treaty’s entry into force: China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, Pakistan and the United States.
Together, let us demand an end to all nuclear tests, get on with the unfinished business of achieving a world free of nuclear weapons, and usher in a safer and more prosperous future.

Ban Ki-moon

United Nations Secretary-General's message for International Day Against Nuclear Tests 2014

On this International Day Against Nuclear Tests, the international community reaffirms its commitment to secure the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which would prohibit all nuclear explosions. This would mark a welcome step toward a world without nuclear weapons. The CTBT has already made real progress toward achieving universal membership – more than 90 percent of UN Member States have signed the Treaty and 162 countries have ratified it. Eight states must ratify the Treaty in order for it to enter into force: China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, Pakistan and the United States of America. I urge those states to act without further delay. I also call on all countries to refrain from nuclear tests, the use of new nuclear weapons technologies or any action that would defeat the object and purpose of the CTBT. We have recently witnessed a substantial growth of interest in better understanding the catastrophic humanitarian effects of nuclear weapons. Decades ago, awareness of the human and environmental consequences of nuclear detonations led to the global ban on nuclear tests. Today, the effects of nuclear weapons upon civilian populations, agriculture, livestock and ground-water supplies are better known and well documented. They have contributed significantly to our collective efforts towards achieving the prohibition and elimination of all nuclear weapons for all time. Together, let us demand an end to all nuclear tests and get on with the unfinished business of achieving a world free of nuclear weapons.

 Ban Ki-moon 

Message for the International Day Against Nuclear Tests 2014 by the President of the 68th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

On 29 August 1949, the first nuclear device was detonated at the Semipalatinsk test range in Kazakhstan. 60 years later, the United Nations General Assembly, in its resolution 64/37, declared 29 August as the International Day against Nuclear Tests, a day devoted to enhancing public awareness and education about the effects of nuclear weapon test explosions or any other nuclear explosions and for highlighting the need for their cessation as one of the means of achieving the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world.
Due to their massive power of destruction, the use of nuclear weapons would have catastrophic global consequences and would cause severe and long-lasting emergencies –  humanitarian, global health, climate, social order, human development, and economic. Access to social goods and services is predicated on the existence of peace and security. Development goals can only be achieved if we prevent such catastrophes on our planet. This must be a collective effort, because we face the risks posed by these weapons collectively, not as States with narrow national security interests.
As President of the 68th session of the General Assembly, I will mark this important international day by convening an informal meeting of the plenary of the General Assembly on 10 September 2014. I invite you to commemorate the International Day against Nuclear Tests with me to renew our commitment for the promotion of peace and security, one of the main purposes and principles of our United Nations.

John W. Ashe

2014 Events 

INFORMAL MEETING OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO MARK THE OBSERVANCE OF THE INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST NUCLEAR TESTS

Programme

The Meeting is convened by H.E. Mr. John Ashe, President of the United Nations General Assembly, and organized in cooperation with the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
 
Date:  Wednesday, 10 September 2014
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Venue: Trusteeship Council, United Nations Headquarters

Opening Statements by:

• H.E. Mr. John Ashe, President of the United Nations General Assembly
• H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations
• H.E. Mr. Ermek Kosherbayev,  First Deputy of the Governor of Eastern Kazakhstan (Semipalatinsk region)

High-Level Interactive Panel on the Path to Zero: The Role of the United Nations in Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation

The official opening ceremony will be followed by a High-Level Panel on the above theme. The panelists are expected to cover some key issues, including necessary steps for further progress on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones, confidence building and other relevant issues.
 
Panel Details  
Moderator
H.E. Ambassador U. Joy Ogwu, Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations
Speakers

• Ms. Angela Kane, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs
• H.E. Ambassador Libran Cabactulan, Permanent Representative of Philippines to the United Nations
• H.E. Ambassador Guillermo  Rishchynski, Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations
• Mr. Geoffrey Shaw, Representative of the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency to the United Nations

The panel will be followed by observations and questions from Member States.

Entry
The Informal Meeting is open to all diplomats, think-tanks, the academic community, civil society and the media. Those without a UN Grounds Pass interested in these events should kindly contact: itilegen@yahoo.com,
or tel: 1-212-2301900, ext 322.

Resources :

Since the International Day against Nuclear Tests was first declared, there have been a number of significant developments, discussions and initiatives relevant to its goals and objectives as well as conferences convened to elaborate and advance these developments.

•  2013-2014 developments
•  The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).
•  The Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) Preparatory Commission.
•  The Road to Nuclear Test Ban Started Today
• ‘Hiroshima and Nagasaki’ CTBTO Newsroom
• Capacity Development Initiative (CDI) at CTBTO 
  Putting an end to nuclear exposions, CTBTO preparatory Commission