By Ermeya Afshain

“The nuclear menace is once again on the rise. A complete ban on nuclear testing is an essential step in preventing the qualitative and quantitative improvement of nuclear weapons and in achieving nuclear disarmament.”

António Guterres

Over 2,000 nuclear weapons tests have taken performed since the first one on July 16, 1945. Early nuclear testing did not give any thought to the catastrophic repercussions on human life, let alone the risks posed by nuclear fallout from atmospheric tests. The horrifying and catastrophic results of nuclear weapons testing have been revealed to us by history and hindsight, particularly when controlled experiments go wrong and in light of the significantly more potent and lethal nuclear weapons that are currently in existence.

Resolution 64/35 was overwhelmingly approved by the UN General Assembly on 2 December 2009, designating 29 August as the International Day against Nuclear Tests. In order to achieve the objective of a nuclear-weapons-free world, the resolution calls for raising awareness and educating people "about the impacts of nuclear weapon test explosions or any other nuclear explosions and the need for their discontinuation." The Republic of Kazakhstan, along with a sizable number of sponsors and cosponsors, proposed the resolution in an effort to commemorate the shutdown of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site on August 29, 1991.

The first International Day against Nuclear Tests was observed in 2010. Every year after that, different events like symposia, conferences, exhibits, competitions, publications, lectures, media broadcasts, and other efforts have been planned around the globe to mark the day.

Since its founding, numerous bilateral and international governmental developments as well as significant civil society activities have contributed to the advancement of the prohibition of nuclear testing.

Furthermore, the General Assembly declared September 26 to be the "International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons," which is dedicated to furthering the goal of the total elimination of nuclear weapons through the mobilisation of international efforts. The General Assembly was "convinced that nuclear disarmament and the total elimination of nuclear weapons are the only absolute guarantee against the use or threat of nuclear weapons." In September 2014, the first International Day for the Complete Elimination of Nuclear Weapons was observed. The International Day against Nuclear Tests has helped to create a global climate that fervently supports a world free of nuclear weapons, together with other activities and events.

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty of 1996 is the international agreement to halt all nuclear testing (CTBT). Sadly, this has not yet come into effect.

The prohibition against testing is an example of a policy that supports both disarmament and non-proliferation goals, as the Secretary-General acknowledged in his disarmament plan "Securing our Common Future," which was unveiled on May 24, 2018. The CTBT slows down the arms race by limiting the development of sophisticated new types of nuclear weapons. Additionally, it acts as a significant normative barrier to deter future States from trying to create, produce, and then acquire nuclear weapons in defiance of their non-proliferation pledges.

To achieve the CTBT's entry into force and to maintain its position in the international system, every effort must be done. In light of this, the Secretary-General makes an appeal to those remaining States whose ratifications are necessary for the CTBT to enter into force to make a commitment to sign the Treaty as soon as possible, if they haven't already, and to hasten the end of their ratification procedures.

The UN envisions a time when all nuclear weapons will be gone. As the world works to promote peace and security, it is necessary to mark International Day against Nuclear Tests.

The main mechanism for eradicating nuclear weapons testing is the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). It was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 September 1996. To date, 185 countries have signed the treaty and 170 have ratified it. For the Treaty to enter into Force, it must be ratified by those States with significant nuclear capabilities.

Although the world community as a whole agrees that nuclear weapons tests represent a life-threatening risk, there is still some lingering concern about the possibility of covert nuclear weapons testing. Nuclear weapons' reliability may be in peril if they cannot be tested, which is another worry. But throughout time, improvements in science and technology have greatly increased our ability to keep an eye on compliance controls and identify the spread of nuclear weapons. The CTBT Organization (CTBTO) Preparatory Commission's Provisional Technical Secretariat was responsible for developing and initiating these activities and tracking systems. Despite the treaty's stalling entry-into-force, an increasingly active public advocacy campaign, including activities and events held on the International Day against Nuclear Tests, is putting pressure on the ruling class to ratify the agreement in order to eventually end nuclear weapons testing.

The CTBTO Preparatory Commission and the 170 States that have ratified the Treaty are adamant about it coming into effect. With approximately 90% of States already included in the CTBTO's International Monitoring System, there is certainty that no nuclear explosion will go undetected. The complete abolition of nuclear weapons, however, can prevent a nuclear conflict or nuclear terrorism threat better than anything else. Nuclear explosions must be permanently stopped in order to stop the development of nuclear weapons.