The United Nation(UN)’s International Day Against Nuclear Tests (IDANT) is annually observed across the globe on 29 August to raise awareness about the devastating effects of nuclear weapon tests and the urgent need to cease them to work toward a nuclear-weapon-free world.
- The day engages the UN, Member States, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), academic institutions, and the media in promoting the ban on nuclear tests, a crucial step for global safety.
Note: Across nearly 8 decades, more than 2,000 nuclear tests were conducted at more than 60 sites around the world.
Background:
i.On 2 December 2009, the 64th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/64/35, proclaiming 29 August as the International Day against Nuclear Tests.
- The resolution was initiated by the Republic of Kazakhstan, along with several sponsors and cosponsors.
ii.The 1st International Day Against Nuclear Tests was observed on 29 August 2010.
Why 29 August?
29 August commemorates the closure of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site (SNTS) in today’s Kazakhstan on 29 August 1991.
- The Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site alone saw 456 nuclear test explosions between 1949 and 1989.
About Nuclear Tests:
i.Nuclear weapon testing refers to experiments that are carried out to determine the effectiveness, yield, and explosive capability of nuclear weapons.
ii.This process triggers an uncontrolled release of energy that is extremely destructive.
Introduction to Nuclear Testing:
i.The world’s 1st nuclear test, as a part of the Manhattan Project, occurred on 16 July 1945 at a desert site in Alamogordo, New Mexico, when the United States of America (USA) exploded its 1st atomic bomb.
- It was successfully detonated, testing an implosion-design plutonium device, nicknamed the Gadget.
ii.The device was tested on the plains of the Alamogordo Bombing Range (ABR), known as the Jornada del Muerto. The code name for the test was “Trinity.”
India’s 1st Nuclear Test:
i.India’s first successful nuclear test, code-named “Smiling Buddha” (Pokhran-I), was conducted on 18 May 1974 at the Indian Army’s Pokhran Test Range (PTR) in Rajasthan.
- This test made India the world’s 6th nuclear power and broke the nuclear monopoly of the 5 members of the UN Security Council (UNSC), the USA, Russia, Great Britain, China, and France.
ii.The Indian government referred to the test as a Peaceful Nuclear Explosion (PNE).
iii.In 1954, the Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru became the first statesmen to call for a nuclear testing moratorium.
- In 1963, the Partial Test Ban Treaty (PTBT) was adopted to ban nuclear tests in the atmosphere, outer space, and underwater.
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT):
i.The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) for eradicating nuclear weapons testing was adopted by the UNGA on 10 September 1996.
- It bans all nuclear explosions, whether for military or peaceful purposes, and comprises a preamble, 17 articles, 2 annexes, and a Protocol with 2 annexes.
ii.The resolution CTBT/MSS/RES/1 adopted by the State Signatories on 19 November 1996 established the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO).
iii.To date, 187 States (countries) have signed the treaty and 178 have ratified it. For the Treaty to enter into Force, it must be ratified by those States with significant nuclear capabilities.
Note: India has not signed the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).
Related Observance:
The UN International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons is annually observed across the globe on September 26th to promote the need to eliminate nuclear weapons through the mobilisation of international efforts.
About the United Nations (UN):
Secretary-General– António Guterres
Headquarters– New York, the United States of America (USA)
Established – 1945
