Observing International Day Against Nuclear Tests, UN Calls For Global Ban

By Manik Mehta NEW YORK, Sept 11 (Bernama) -- While marking International Day Against Nuclear Tests (IDANT) on Thursday, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon highlighted the devastation caused by nuclear testing, urging states which have not done so far, to sign and ratify the international treaty that seeks to achieve a ban on such testing. Giving his own experience, he told a gathering at the UN that he had witnessed “the lasting societal, environmental and economic damage nuclear tests have caused”. “Since the first test in New Mexico, 70 years ago, the world has endured over 2,000 nuclear tests. Those tests devastated pristine environments and local populations around the world. “Many have never recovered from the legacies of nuclear testing - including poisoned groundwater, cancer, birth defects and radioactive fallout. “Today (Thursday), let us also send a strong signal that the international community stands united to take action that will lead us to a safer and more secure world - a world free of nuclear weapons,” said Ban. The secretary-general described the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which was adopted in 1996, as an “essential building block for achieving this goal as a legally-binding, verifiable means by which to constrain the quantitative and qualitative development of nuclear weapons”. Stressing that the treaty must enter into force to be truly effective, Ban called on all remaining states to sign and ratify the instrument, including China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, Pakistan and the United States. The importance of the CTBT was also highlighted by the President of the General Assembly, Sam Kutesa, who underscored the need for a world free of nuclear testing. Acting High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Kim Won-soo emphasised the need to universalise the norm against nuclear testing. But the highlight of the day was a luncheon-reception held at the permanent mission of Kazakhstan in New York to mark the IDANT and highlight, at the same time, the dangers of nuclear testing to the environment and to humanity at large. Kazakhstan’s permanent representative to the UN, Ambassador Kairat Abdrakhmanov, a popular figure in local diplomatic circles, aroused the interest of his high-profiled guests at a reception hosted at the Kazakh mission - the guests included Ban - by posing an informal quiz on nuclear testing. Conducted in a light vein, the guests were happy to answer the questions on various stages in the global nuclear testing and the impact on the environment. Kazakhstan is candidating for a two-year non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council for the years 2017 and 2018. -- BERNAMA