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The 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly declared 29 August as the International Day against Nuclear Tests through the unanimous adoption of its resolution 64/35 on 2 December 2009. The Day is meant to galvanize the efforts of the United Nations, Member States, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, youth networks and the media in informing, educating and advocating the necessity of banning nuclear tests as a valuable step to achieving a safer world. The Preamble of the resolution emphasizes “that every effort should be made to end nuclear tests in order to avert devastating and harmful effects on the lives and health of people …and, that the end of nuclear tests is one of the key means of achieving the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world.”
The value of this goal was stated with great clarity by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, “A world free of nuclear weapons would be a global public goodof thehighest order.” In May of 2010, all the States Parties to the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, committed themselves to work to “achieve the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons” and they characterized achieving a ban on nuclear testing as “vital.”
Presently, some countries have unilaterally promised not to test but such a regime is unstable. Bringing into force the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, which would forever ban any further nuclear weapon test explosion and any other nuclear explosion, would both advance nuclear disarmament efforts and strengthen the constraints on proliferation. The Treaty opened for signature and ratification in 1996. It is time for the few remaining countries that have not signed and ratified it to do so promptly.
There have already been thousands of nuclear weapons tests and any further tests would give ongoing legitimacy to these horrific devices. Moreover, already nuclear weapons tests have caused environmental degradation and harmed the health of millions.
The entire Southern hemisphere of the planet has become one virtual nuclear-weapons-free zone by virtue of regional treaties - the Treaty of Rarotonga, covering the South Pacific, the Treaty of Pelindaba, covering Africa, the Treaty of Bangkok covering South Asia and the Treaty of Tlatelolco, covering Latin America and the Caribbean. Recently we have witnessed the entry into force of the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapons-Free Zone Treaty, the first such instrument situated entirely north of the Equator. The UN Secretary-General has included in his dynamic Five Point Proposal on Nuclear Disarmament a suggestion that it is time to advance toward making the entire world a nuclear-weapon-free zone through a nuclear weapons convention or framework of legal instruments. |
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The Day’s vision is an idea whose time has come, in view of many recent developments at the bilateral and multilateral governmental level emanating from broad movements in civil society, and from the Secretary-General himself, from broad movements in civil society, and from the Secretary-General himself. An initiative in 2007 by four eminent United States statesmen sparked national and international dialogue about the ideal of a world free of nuclear weapons and what it would take to get there. Their concerns were echoed by other leading world figures from Italy, Germany, France, United Kingdom and Poland. Norway initiated a dialogue at the governmental level that helped to maintain the momentum of attention to the issue. France and the United Kingdom have both announced stockpile reductions and the latter has committed to beginning a scientific examination of the kind of verification needed to reach a nuclear-weapon-free world. The establishment of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament by Australia and Japan provided a focused authoritative international expert review of proposals and recommendations on the issue for future action.
The 1 April 2009 commitment by the Presidents of the United States and the Russian Federation to a nuclear-weapon-free world and to the fulfillment of their obligations under Article VI of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to further reductions and limits on their strategic offensive arms was hailed as a new beginning. President Obama’s declaration on 5 April in Prague that the United States would pursue the goal of a world free of nuclear weapons deeply stirred the imagination of many around the globe, old and young alike. The New START Treaty was signed by Presidents Medvedev and Obama on 8 April earlier this year. Indeed, Japan’s parliament unanimously adopted on 17 June 2009 a similar call and has urged its government to work harder to establish an effective international inspection system to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons. |
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Events
The United Nations General Assembly, in its resolution 64/35 establishing the International Day against Nuclear Tests, has invited Member States, the United Nations system, civil society, academia, the mass media and individuals to commemorate the Day through all means of educational and public awareness-raising activities.
Plans are under way to observe the Day by various activities, such as symposia, conferences, exhibits, competitions, publications, instruction in academic institutions, media broadcasts and other activities.
The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, and its Regional Centres, together with the United Nations Department of Public, will serve as the focal points within the UN system to commemorate the Day, in close collaboration with the Preparatory Commission of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization(CTBTO). The United Nations Information Centres and Services will also be involved in supporting observance-related activities and relaying messages in the countries and regions they serve.
Special Meeting of the General Assembly to mark the Observance of the International Day against Nuclear Tests.
Date: Thursday 9 September 2010
Time: 10 a.m.
Venue: General Assembly Hall of the United Nations, New York – to be determined.
His Excellency, Dr. Ali Treki, President of the 64th session of the General Assembly will convene a meeting to observe the first International Day against Nuclear Tests.
Statements by:
- Dr. Ali Treki, President of the 64th session of the General Assembly
- Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations
- Mr. Kanat Sauderbayev, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan
- Mr. Tibor Tóth, Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO)
- Delegations of Member States to the United Nations
All delegations and civil society organizations affiliated to the United Nations are cordially invited.
Consultation on Prioritizing the NPT Action Plan
Date: Thursday 9 September 2010
Time: 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Venue: Conference Room 3 of the United Nations, New York.
Programme
Engaging Youth in Embracing a World Free of Nuclear Weapons
There will be events for youth held in several countries around the world by universities, academic institutions, middle and high schools and youth organizations during the course of the year. The inclusion of youth in disarmament and non-proliferation efforts, advocacy and education is essential. Such activities should not only take place on the Day itself, but throughout the year. The Day provides an opportunity to draw world-wide attention to the necessity of ending the unacceptable risk that nuclear weapons pose and joining together in strong action to assert our common goal – a world without nuclear weapons.
The Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings and cold war scenarios of nuclear holocaust are remote for the youth of today. Youth need to know that the legacy of nuclear weapons has not disappeared, and need to have opportunities to appreciate the vision of a nuclear-weapon-free world and the multiple challenges — political, military, diplomatic, economic, scientific and technical — that hold back rapidly needed progress. It is only through education and training that youth can be equipped to engage meaningfully in constructive dialogue and action.
Moreover, the cooperation needed to resolve the other critical challenges of our time – environmental degradation, climate change, poverty elimination, for example – is made far more difficult by the instability and incoherence of a world of nuclear weapons imbalance, with a small group of haves and many have-nots. The cooperative peaceful world that youth the world over are striving to achieve requires their collective voice in the movement to eliminate nuclear weapons.
Education empowers and inspires engagement. It is important that the history and rationale for the development of nuclear weapons, as well as ways to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons, be taught. The engagement of Member States and the United Nations, parliamentarians, civil society, academia, religious groups, private sector, and media is essential in the education of the next generation. Universities will need to respond adequately by offering curricula and research opportunities on the political and social impact of creating a world free of nuclear weapons. This will help meet the disarmament and non-proliferation challenges which will be posed by new technologies which will also need to be controlled by law, diplomacy, morality, and cooperation. Today’s challenge is nuclear weapons and the groundwork in disarmament education will serve us all well to meet tomorrow’s challenges.
This is a call for youth to engage in advocacy and take action through
- direct negotiations with with government leaders and parliamentarians
- asking that the voices of youth be heard in political fora
- signing petitions, memoranda and declarations
- coalescing with other anti-nuclear groups
- organizing awareness raising campaigns
- holdings events, symposia and addressing meetings
- creating publicity materials through videos, YouTube, art and drama
- social networking to spread the message of a peace and secure world
- writing in local newspapers and journals and mobilizing community action
- joining the activities of the United Nations
- any other ideas that you may wish to implement
Youth, the energizers of today and leaders of tomorrow, can and have changed the world!
They have the power to bring an end to nuclear tests and weapons for a safe and secure world. |
