Astana, 30 August 2023 (TDI): In commemoration of the International Day against Nuclear Tests worldwide, the Foreign Ministry of Kazakhstan hosted a regional conference on the subject of “The Humanitarian Consequences of Nuclear Weapons and the Nuclear Weapon Free Zone in Central Asia” on August 29, in Astana.
The conference was organized in cooperation with the Center for International Security and Policy, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), non-governmental organizations; the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and Sokka Gakkai International.
The conference was attended by diplomats and government experts from the Central Asian states.
The First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Kairat Umarov at the outset of the conference delivered a welcoming speech, emphasizing the importance of observing the global ban on nuclear testing.
Moreover, he noted the importance of work undertaken in this area to be essential for the collective efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons.
The Kazakh Foreign Minister emphasized that the conference is in correspondence to the global events taking place for building a world free from nuclear tests and nuclear weapons.
He also shed light that the UN General Assembly (UNGA) also celebrates the day of International Day against Nuclear Tests by holding a traditional meeting at UNGA’s headquarters in New York.
Moreover, he brought the focus of the participants towards the adoption of a joint statement by Kazakhstan and the Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty(CTBT) Organization towards continuing work in the dimension of a world free of nuclear weapons and tests.
As per the framework of the conference dedicated to the Nuclear Weapon Free Zone in Central Asia, a presentation was delivered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kazakhstan.
The presentation brought the attention of the participants towards the activities of Kazakhstan within the framework of the Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) centred on nuclear testing victim assistance and environmental rehabilitation.
Also Read: International Day Against Nuclear Tests
Apart from that, the initiative of Kazakhstan to create an International Trust Fund on the foregoing issue was also highlighted.
Moving forward, the participants of the conference exchanged views on the compatibility and complementarity of the main international legal measures in the field of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.
The main international legal measures included, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia (CANWFZ) and others.
