Embrace a world free of nuclear weapons

CAIRO – 29 August 2022: The International Day Against Nuclear Tests aims to motivate the United Nations, Member States, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, youth networks and the media against nuclear testing.

The day highlights the importance of a nuclear test ban as a valuable step towards a safer world.

This day is celebrated on August 29, but it was established on December 2, 2009 at the 64th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations by Resolution 64/35, which was adopted unanimously.

The resolution calls in particular to raise awareness of the “impact of nuclear weapons test explosions or any other nuclear explosions and the need to stop them as one of the means of achieving the goal of a world without nuclear weapons.”

Kazakhstan initiated the resolution with several sponsors and celebrated it to commemorate the closure of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site on August 29, 1991.

Following the establishment of the International Day Against Nuclear Tests, all States Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons committed in May 2010 to “achieving peace and security in a world free of nuclear weapons.”

The nation states, a government simulation game, celebrates the World Day Against Nuclear Tests in a surprising way on August 29 every year, where nations are granted to use nuclear weapons against each other which leads to a multifaceted and violent nuclear war.

This tradition started after mini-games first appeared on the site for April Fools' Day 2017 to make this a regular event.

Nuclear explosion - social media

The Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization and the 170 countries that have ratified it vigorously continue to press for the treaty's entry into force.

The international monitoring system of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, which already includes nearly 90 percent of countries, provides confidence that no nuclear explosion will escape detection.

However, nothing can play a decisive role in avoiding a nuclear war or a nuclear terrorist threat like the complete elimination of nuclear weapons. An irreversible end to nuclear explosions will prevent further development of nuclear weapons.

Since the International Day Against Nuclear Tests was first declared, there have been a number of important developments, discussions and initiatives related to its goals and objectives, as well as conferences held to clarify and advance these developments.

On June 9, 2022,  the IAEA Board of Governors adopted a resolution, with 30 votes in favor, two against and three abstentions. The resolution called on Iran to clarify and resolve outstanding safeguards issues. 

On July 21-23, the first meeting of the States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was held in Vienna.

On August 1-26,  the Tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons was held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.