UN Marks August 29 as Nuclear Test Ban Day, Calls for Disarmament

The United Nations annually designates August 29 as the Nuclear Test Ban Day, a reminder of the historic moment when the Semipalatinsk test field in Kazakhstan was finally shut down. The day was first observed in 2010 and has since become a platform for governments, NGOs, and educational institutions to host seminars, exhibitions, and outreach campaigns.

During the 2009 UNGA session, a coalition of states led by Kazakhstan proposed resolution 64/35, which was swiftly adopted. The resolution stresses the need for universal adherence to the Comprehensive Nuclear‑Test‑Ban Treaty (CTBT), which entered into force in 1996, and urges nations to pursue the total elimination of nuclear weapons as a cornerstone of global peace.