CITING ‘HORRIFIC’ HUMAN, ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS, UN OFFICIALS URGE GLOBAL BAN ON NUCLEAR TESTS

From: UNNews <UNNews@un.org>
Date: 5 Sep 2013 13:00:00 -0400
Subject: CITING 'HORRIFIC' HUMAN, ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS, UN OFFICIALS
URGE GLOBAL BAN ON NUCLEAR TESTS
To: news11@ny-mail-p-lb-028.ptc.un.org

CITING 'HORRIFIC' HUMAN, ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS, UN OFFICIALS URGE
GLOBAL BAN ON NUCLEAR TESTSNew York, Sep 5 2013 1:00PMUnited Nations
senior officials today repeated their call on Member States to take
action to ban nuclear testing, stressing their horrific effects on
human lives and the environment.

"We should all remember the terrible toll of nuclear tests," Mr. Ban
said in his <"http://www.un.org/sg/statements/index.asp?nid=7059">message
to the General Assembly on the fourth observance of the
<"http://www.un.org/en/events/againstnucleartestsday/">International
Day Against Nuclear Tests. "It is time to address the horrific human
and environmental effects of nuclear tests through a global ban, the
most reliable means to meet these challenges."

The International Day highlights the efforts of the UN and a growing
community of advocates, including Member States, non-governmental
organizations, academia, and media, in raising awareness of the
importance of the nuclear test ban.

The General Assembly chose 29 August as the annual commemoration date
since it marks the day in 1991 when Semipalatinsk, one of the largest
test sites in the world and located in north-eastern Kazakhstan, was
closed permanently. The body held an informal session today, under the
theme "The Path to Zero," giving Member States the opportunity to
weigh in on the issue.

"A total of 456 nuclear tests were carried at Semipalatinsk since the
first explosion there more than 64 years ago. Nearly one and a half
million people were affected by the consequences of nuclear testing,
and an immense territory has been contaminated with radiation," Mr.
Ban said.

"Today, 183 countries have signed the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban
Treaty and 159 have ratified it. I once again urge all States to sign
and ratify the CTBT without further delay. Eight States whose
ratifications are necessary for the Treaty to enter into force have a
special responsibility: China, the Democratic People's Republic of
Korea, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, Pakistan and the United States."

President of the United Nations General Assembly Vuk Jeremic joined
Mr. Ban's call to Member States, and encouraged them to participate in
the first high-level meeting of the General Assembly on nuclear
disarmament, which will take place later this month.

Mr. Jeremic <"http://www.un.org/en/ga/president/67/statements/statements/September13/nucleartests05092013.shtml">recalled
the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki noting that "what
happened there is a permanent reminder of the horrible, unmatched
devastation caused by the use of nuclear weapons. Any test, conducted
by anyone anywhere, increases the likelihood they will be used again
one day."

"There are some who see nothing wrong with stockpiling atomic bombs
that can destroy entire cities in a heartbeat. Let them go to
Hiroshima; let them stand before the cenotaph—the sombre monument to
the victims of an unparalleled calamity inflicted by the hand of man,"
he said.

Also addressing the meeting was Geoffrey Shaw, representative of the
Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to
the UN, who highlighted the agency's key role in verifying the
compliance of States with their commitment to the peaceful use of
nuclear material under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

"By doing so, the IAEA has made an important contribution to global
efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons," he said,
specifically noting that IAEA safeguards in connection with NPT
commitments comprise measures by which the Agency independently
verifies the correctness and the completeness of the declarations made
by States about their nuclear material and activities.

Mr. Shaw also noted that the IAEA continues to assist States to
characterize residual radioactivity in areas affected by nuclear
weapons tests to assess whether the safe use of such land is possible,
or whether remedial actions are needed.

As an example, he said that for many years, the IAEA assisted the
Government of Kazakhstan to assess the radiological contamination of
territories affected by nuclear tests at the Semipalatinsk site. And
the IAEA will continue to support Kazakhstan in these endeavours. A
new technical cooperation project started in 2012 focused on
strengthening national capabilities for radio-ecological studies to
support assessing the feasibility of releasing parts of the
Semipalatinsk Test Site to normal economic use.

Vladimir Bozhko, Minister for Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan,
stressed that observance of the International Day questions the
legitimacy of nuclear tests and weapons in military, political and
security doctrines.

"It highlights their catastrophic humanitarian consequences on human
wellbeing, health, the genetics of survivors, as well as impact on the
world's climate and food production and water supply," he said, adding
that the devastating explosive blasts, direct nuclear radiation,
thermal radiation and fall-out have make the full rehabilitation of
people and environment nearly impossible.

As such, he said that the International Day "is not just a day to
remember, [but] a day to act" and called for a "disarmament race"
bolstered by bolt multilateral action to not only diminish but
completely wipe out the threats posed by nuclear weapons.Sep 5 2013
1:00PM
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