Remarks by the President of the UN General Assembly
H.E. Mr. Philemon Yang
At the High-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly to commemorate and promote the International Day against Nuclear Tests
Wednesday, 3 September 2025
[As Delivered]
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Thank you for joining this meeting to commemorate and promote the International Day against Nuclear Tests.
As we mark the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, we must also acknowledge a sobering parallel.
Eighty years since the first-ever nuclear test explosion in New Mexico and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the UN’s legacy remains indelibly linked to one of the darkest chapters in human history.
It is a legacy we cannot disavow.
But it is also a solemn reminder of one of our core missions: to prevent the scourge of war and the threat of nuclear annihilation.
While progress has been made, nuclear disarmament is not a task that ends.
Excellencies,
Our efforts must remain continuous and resolute.
If we want to rid the world of nuclear weapons, we must first halt nuclear testing.
Nuclear testing not only has the potential to lead to a dangerous nuclear arms race, it’s consequences also have devastating impacts on people and planet.
The International Day Against Nuclear Testing reflects these realities.
Recognized each year on 29 August, the international day commemorates the closing of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test site in Kazakhstan nearly a quarter century ago.
The closing of the site was one of many moments that put an end to a decades-long rush to build and expand nuclear arsenals.
It reflected a deeper understanding and willingness to limit and work to halt nuclear testing.
On this International Day, I call upon all Member States that have not yet signed and ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty to do so without delay.
In particular, I urge the remaining states that participated in the 1996 negotiations of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty at the Conference on Disarmament, and that possessed nuclear power or research reactors at that time, to move forward with ratification.
This step is not only overdue for the entry-into-force of this important Treaty—it is essential for our collective security.
Your excellencies,
Between 1945 and 1996, more than 2,000 nuclear tests were conducted worldwide, leaving behind grave health consequences and enduring environmental contamination.
This cannot be allowed to continue. The risks are far too great.
The opening for signature of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, in 1996, proved effective.
It led to a significant reduction in nuclear testing.
Indeed, since 1996, fewer than a dozen nuclear tests have taken place.
The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty is thus a great example of how diplomacy, together with science, can enhance global security.
Here I commend the tireless efforts of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO).
I also wish to commend the contributions of Member States to its International Monitoring System, which continues to safeguard the world by detecting potential nuclear tests.
Excellencies,
We must overcome the syndrome under which we are always willing to pay for war, but not for peace.
Let today be an opportunity to reject the drift toward rearmament and instead firmly commit to dialogue, diplomacy, and collective action.
We made a promise last year in the Pact for the Future to achieve the total elimination of nuclear weapons.
Let us continue on the path that we started in 1996 and renew our determination to prohibit nuclear testing as a first and important step towards nuclear disarmament.
And let us do it by making sure that 30 years after its opening for signature, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty finally enters into force.
I thank you.
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Media Contacts
Sharon Birch, Spokesperson for the President of the General Assembly, Tel: +1 212 963 0564, M: +1 646 342 5873, Email: birchs@un.org
Dr. Mariam Shaikh, Adviser/ Social and Digital Media/Media Relations, M: +1 917 3614990, Email: mariam.shaikh@un.org
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