Page 5 - DIVA_1_2011

International Day against Nuclear

Tests and 19th anniversary of the

closing of the S mipalatinsk test sit

Prominent academics, scien- 64/35 of the United Nations • Werner Burkart, Deputy world free of nuclear wea-
tists, international officials, General Assembly's sixty- Director-General of the pons is achievable."
diplomats and activists fourth session designated 29 International Atomic Energy
convened in Astana, August as the day for celebra- Agency (IAEA); Calling upon the international
Kazakhstan, on 26 August ting the global effort to pre- • Miroslav Jenca, Head of the community to reflect deeply
2010, on the eve of the first vent nuclear tests from happe- United Nations Regional on the consequences of the
global celebration of the ning again. It also commemo- Centre for Preventive nuclear weapons tests in
United Nations-designated rated the anniversary of shut- Diplomacy in Central Asia; Semipalatinsk and around the
International Day against ting down one of the world's • Kori Udovicki, United world, Ban Ki-moon stated:
Nuclear Tests (29 August), to largest nuclear test sites at Nations Assistant Secretary- "The better this dark era of
issue a strong call to the inter- Semipalatinsk, which took General and Regional history is understood, the
national community to take place following a decree from Director for Europe and the brighter will be the prospects
President
more resolute steps towards Kazakhstan's of for achieving a world free of
Commonwealth
banning nuclear tests. Nursultan Nazarbayev in Independent States; nuclear weapons. It is time to
1991. • Olzhas Suleimenov, the close all nuclear sites and
The delegates gathered for an founder and leader of the address the harm they have
international "Nevada-Semey" internatio- caused. It is time we brought
The conference agenda cove-
conference
"Semipalatinsk:
entitled nal anti-nuclear movement the Comprehensive Nuclear-
red the political aspects of
From Rehabilitation to ending nuclear testing and and currently Kazakhstan's Test-Ban Treaty into force. It
Development" and jointly getting rid of nuclear wea- Ambassador to UNESCO. is time for all to seek the secu-
organized by the Ministry of pons, and particularly the rity of a world without
Foreign Miroslav Jenca read out a nuclear weapons. We cannot
socio-economic and environ-
Affairs
of
Kazakhstan and the United mental challenges of and pro- message from United Nations pass these challenges to suc-
Nations. It focused on co- spects for the Semipalatinsk Secretary-General Ban Ki- ceeding generations. We must
region's development.
between
operation moon, in which he said: each do our part to build a
Kazakhstan and international "Today, with Kazakhstan safer, more secure world
organizations in overcoming The speakers included: having banished nuclear wea- today."
the aftermath of nearly 500 • Tibor Tóth, Executive pons and joined in creating a
Soviet nuclear tests in the Secretary of the Preparatory nuclear-weapon-free zone in The conference resulted in
Semipalatinsk region that Commission of the Central Asia, Semipalatinsk participants adopting an
affected more than 1.5 Comprehensive Nuclear- has become a powerful sym- Appeal to the world commu-

million people. Adopted on 2 Test-Ban Treaty bol of hope. It tells us that a nity, as well as a new joint
December 2009, Resolution Organization;
12011 Diva 3
www.divainternatjonal.ch