International Day against Nuclear Tests 2022: History, significance & all you need to know

Every year, August 29 is marked as the International Day against Nuclear Tests to raise awareness about the negative impacts of testing nuclear weapons. The first ever nuclear test was conducted on July 16, 1945, by the United States military in a desert in New Mexico, and since then, over 2,000 nuclear tests have been carried out in different parts of the world. With advancing technology, the nuclear weapons that are made today are far more lethal and destructive than they used to be earlier.

Although no government paid any attention to the repercussions of these tests on humanity, several instances have made it clear how deadly the consequences of these tests are. The ban on nuclear testing was imposed in the year 1996 under the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty with the help of international communities. Notably, this year marks the thirteenth anniversary of the event.

International Day against Nuclear Tests history

Established during the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on December 2, 2009, the International Day against Nuclear Tests came into effect when the resolution 64/35 was adopted unanimously. This resolution was initiated by Kazakhstan to celebrate the 18th anniversary of the closing of the USSR-controlled Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site, which took place in Kazakhstan in 1991. The resolution aims to call for an end to such nuclear tests.

International Day against Nuclear Tests significance

Since the announcement of the International Day against Nuclear Tests, several crucial developments and dialogues have occured on a global scale since then. Over the past years, several efforts related to its goals and objectives have been made. The day is significant as it gives the government and non-governmental organizations, youth, and media an opportunity to raise awareness against nuclear testing and to promote the necessity of ceasing nuclear weapon tests. The Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) was signed and ratified by 170 nations. It was established in 1996 by the UN General Assembly, where an additional 15 nations signed but did not ratify, while 11 countries did not sign the treaty.

International Day against Nuclear Tests observance

The inaugural observance of the International Day against Nuclear Tests was in the year 2010. Since then, this day is marked by numerous activities across the world, including speeches, competitions, publications, media broadcasts, and more. On this day, governmental and non-governmental organisations hold public programmes to raise awareness against the testing of nuclear weapons.

Image: AP/Representative