High-Level plenary meeting to commemorate and promote the International Day against Nuclear Tests

September 4, 2025 | UN General Assembly, New York

In 2009, the UN General Assembly—upon Kazakhstan’s initiative—adopted a resolution declaring the 29th of August as the International Day against Nuclear Testing. On September 3 and the following day, UN Member States gave statements to commemorate this day and shared their national positions against nuclear testing.

i-Kiribati Youth Statement

Oemwa Johnson (Youth from Kiribati)

In her statement, Oemwa recalled the tragic legacy of nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific. She highlighted the lack of civilian protection as the United Kingdom and the United States conducted nuclear testing on Kiritimati Island. Oemwa further explained that nuclear disarmament is not just a security issue, but a humanitarian and environmental imperative. In her touching statement, she shared her testimony witnessing first-hand the health crisis that affected her loved ones and the wider population of Kiribati. Oemwa expressed satisfaction with the efforts led by Kazakhstan and Kiribati to establish an international trust fund for victims of nuclear weapons, and urged that all States join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) without delay. Oemwa shed light on the gendered impact of nuclear weapons by describing the profound impact that irradiated land and waters have had on women and girls’ reproductive health while also spiking cancer rates for everyone regardless of gender.

Oemwa was featured by UN News in an article and in a tweet which garnered over thirty thousand views. 

Member State Highlights 

Guinea (on behalf of the African States)

Guinea made clear that nuclear tests alongside possession of and threats to use such weapons are unacceptable. Guinea recalled the three landmark nuclear disarmament treaties: Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the TPNW, and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT); urging non-Member States to any of the three treaties to join “at an early date” and without delay. Guinea also raised serious concerns about the implication of artificial intelligence and its potential integration into nuclear arsenals and decision-making systems.

Iraq (on behalf of the Arab Group)

Explicitly condemning the threat of nuclear weapon use, Iraq went on to qualify nuclear weapon testing and possession as incompatible with International Humanitarian Law (IHL). Iraq shared their regret over consecutive failures to reach consensus at previous NPT Review Conferences, and supported establishing a moratorium on nuclear weapons possession and testing. Additionally, Iraq called upon Nuclear Weapon States to fulfill their legal and moral obligations under Article VI of the NPT, which obligates States party to the treaty “to pursue negotiations in good faith…” towards total nuclear disarmament. 

Prioritizing the NPT as the foundation of nuclear disarmament, Iraq called upon Israel to join the treaty without precondition or further delay and to subject its nuclear facilities to IAEA oversight. Citing the 1995 Resolution on the Middle East, the 2010 Action Plan, and UN Security Council resolutions 487 (1981) and 678 (1990), Iraq called for the establishment of the Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons, reiterating that Israel must join the NPT as a non-nuclear-weapon State.

Bolivia

Emphasizing the effects on the environment, Bolivia condemned nuclear tests as an attack against Mother Nature. Bolivia also coined the term “Ecocide” in an effort to initiate within the general assembly a declaration to protect Mother Nature’s rights and to constitute ecocide as a crime against earth, striking similarities to previous general assembly declarations such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Bolivia also stated that the CTBT’s entry into force is a key priority, calling on all States to join the treaty.

China

Acknowledging the deteriorating security landscape, China recalled President Xi Jinping’s Global Security Initiative (GSI) which emphasizes the principle of  “indivisible security.” China criticized the deployment of nuclear weapons on foreign soil, and the creation of nuclear umbrella agreements. It also recalled its own history as having never used a nuclear weapon against any State and holding the position that China will never be the one to use nuclear weapons first in any conflict. China ended its statement by highlighting its support for the International Monitoring System (IMS), noting its complete construction of 10 out of the 11 IMS stations hosted by China.  

Kiribati

Concerned about the lasting health crisis from the legacy nuclear testing, Kiribati advocated for the establishment of an international trust fund for victims of nuclear weapons and to support radiological studies. Kiribati also urged States to continue supporting Kiribati and Kazakhstan’s annual resolution entitled “Addressing the Legacy of Nuclear Weapons: Providing Victims Assistance and Environmental Remediation to Member States affected by the use or testing of nuclear weapons.”  

Kiribati also recalled to the General Assembly its shared role with Kazakhstan as co-chairs of the informal working group on Articles 6 and 7 of the TPNW, and requested that key international agencies (IAEA, CTBTO, UNEP, and UNHRC) should be invited to participate in the first-ever meeting on victim assistance and environmental remediation—chaired by the Secretary-General.

Kazakhstan

Recalling the devastating effects of nuclear testing at Semipalatinsk on the environment, Kazakhstan highlighted its renunciation of inherited nuclear weapons post-independence as responsible State policy. Kazakhstan encouraged States to adopt a people-centered approach to nuclear disarmament, taking positive note of Oemwa Johnson’s earlier youth contribution.

Costa Rica

As former UN First Committee chair, Costa Rica noted the double benefit of science in advancing both disarmament and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Costa Rica praised the work of the IMS and the CTBTO, and urged all States with voluntary moratoria on nuclear testing to transform their obligations into legally binding commitments through treaty and signature and ratification. 

Costa Rica’s focus on voluntary action emphasizes norms against coercion and frames sovereignty as a fundamental ground to universalization.

Austria

Austria rejected the notion that international security could be based on nuclear deterrence, calling it a flawed strategy and incapable of achieving “true security.” Austria also condemned Russia’s implicit and explicit threats to use nuclear weapons, reiterating its support for all States to sign and ratify the CTBT and TPNW.

Kazakhstan’s Reception 

On 3 September, immediately following the opening plenary session of the High-Level meeting to commemorate the International Day against Nuclear Tests, Kazakhstan hosted a well-attended reception at its Permanent Mission. The event allowed delegates and other relevant stakeholders to reflect in a more informal setting on Kazakhstan's steadfast leadership in advancing the cause of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.

The reception featured remarks by Izumi Nakamitsu, Under-Secretary-General and the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, and Robert Floyd, Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO). Both speakers commended Kazakhstan for its leadership in ensuring that the legacy of nuclear tests is neither forgotten or ignored. The gathering served as a platform to engage a diverse audience made up of UN diplomats, civil society groups, and journalists.