Galvanizing Global Efforts to Bring Test-Ban Treaty into Force, General Assembly Holds Meeting to Commemorate International Day against Nuclear Testing

The International Day against Nuclear Tests will be observed on 31 August at United Nations Headquarters.  This year’s official opening ceremony, marked by an informal meeting of the General Assembly, will be convened by the President of the seventieth session of the General Assembly, Mogens Lykketoft.

In its resolution 64/35, the General Assembly designated 29 August as the International Day against Nuclear Tests.  The date marks the closing in 1991 of Semipalatinsk in Kazakhstan, one of the largest nuclear weapon test sites in the world.

The seventh annual International Day against Nuclear Tests will showcase the international efforts of the United Nations and other stakeholders, including Member States, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, youth networks and the media, in informing and educating on the importance of the nuclear-weapon-test ban with the aim of achieving worldwide security.  Around the globe, advocates for a nuclear-weapon-free world will be organizing and participating in activities ranging from debates and exhibits to conferences and competitions to call attention to the urgent imperative for the international community to rally in support of banning nuclear weapons testing once and for all.

This year’s theme is especially pertinent, as we will mark the twentieth anniversary of the opening of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty on 24 September.  The informal meeting will feature a high-level panel, which will focus on the theme “Strengthening the Global Norms against Nuclear Tests — CTBT@20”.  Distinguished experts will reflect on the progress made to date, current and emerging challenges, and opportunities to strengthen the global norms against nuclear tests.  In particular, they will discuss how to coalesce global efforts to promote the Treaty and its early entry into force.

The informal meeting is open to all diplomats and members of think tanks, the academic community, civil society and the media.

The complete programme can be found at:

www.un.org/en/events/againstnucleartestsday/events.shtml.

For further information on the Day and on the nuclear test-related issues, please visit www.un.org/en/no-nucleartests, which is available in all six official United Nations languages.

Contacts:  Donna Cusumano, United Nations Department of Public Information, at e-mail:  cusumanod@un.org; or Soo Hyun Kim, United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, at e-mail:  kim12@un.org.