Licorne test in French Polynesia, 1971. UN chief calls for permanent ban on nuclear testing Peace and Security
Recent calls for a resumption of nuclear testing show that the terrible lessons of the past have been forgotten – or ignored, according to the UN Secretary-General’s message on the International Day against Nuclear Tests.
Antonio Guterres noted that over nearly eight decades, more than two thousand nuclear tests have been conducted around the world at more than 60 test sites.
“These tests have left behind a legacy of destruction, rendering land uninhabitable and creating long-term problems for human health,” he stressed.
The UN chief recalled that the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, a vital instrument for ensuring security, has not yet entered into force.
“For the sake of those affected by nuclear tests and for the sake of future generations, I call on all countries whose ratification of the Treaty is required for its entry into force to do so immediately and without conditions,” Guterres said in his message.
He called on the world community to speak out unanimously to stop this destructive practice.
“Let us pass this test of humanity and ban nuclear testing forever,” the Secretary-General said.
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