International Day Against Nuclear Testing – August 29th
guest | August 29th, 2012 in : conflict & resolution, days of significance, General
Today is the International Day Against Nuclear Testing, a day that aims to end nuclear testing around the world and promote peace and security.
The UN hopes for a nuclear-weapon-free world.
Since the first nuclear test in 1945, the world has seen over 2000 different nuclear weapons tests. Although history has shown us how devastating the impact of nuclear weapons is many world leaders still hold the belief that possessing nuclear weapons is a sign of a country’s scientific sophistication and military might. This type of ideology gives little appreciation for human life or our atmosphere and environment.
In December 2009, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted a new resolution with a goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world. UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon also stated that, “A world free of nuclear weapons would be a global public good of the highest order.”
August 29th was chosen as the date for International Day Against Nuclear Testing because it marks the day in 1991 when the world’s largest nuclear test site was closed in Kazakhstan.
The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) was opened for signature in 1996, but has yet to enter into force.
Also in August:
International Day for World’s Indigenous People – 9th
International Youth Day – 12th
World Humanitarian Day – August 19th
International Day for the Remembrance of Slave Trade and Its Abolition – 23rd
Tags: cold war, human life, military, nuclear test, nuclear weapon, United Nations
Hello, I'm Deborah Swallow and, for the last fifteen years, I've worked in over thirty countries addressing the complexities of people working internationally across multiple cultures, so individuals and organisations alike can gain an authentic competitive edge and win in international markets. 