International Day against Nuclear Tests being observed today

International Day against Nuclear Tests being observed today

International Day against Nuclear Tests is being observed on Monday.

Its aim is to create awareness about the effects of nuclear weapon test explosions or any other nuclear explosions and the need for their cessation to achieve the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world.

In his message on the occasion, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a complete ban on nuclear testing in order to prevent the qualitative and quantitative improvement of nuclear weapons and achieve nuclear disarmament.

The International Day against Nuclear Tests was established on December 2, 2009, by the United Nations General Assembly in its 64th session and adopted unanimously. Kazakhstan initiated this resolution to celebrate the 18th anniversary of the closing of the USSR-controlled Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site at Kazakhstan in 1991.

In 1996, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) was established by the United Nations General Assembly. 170 nations signed and ratified the treaty. 15 nations signed but did not ratify, while 11 nations did not sign.