Day of the Struggle for the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. Almost a century-long struggle for peace

The complete elimination of nuclear weapons is one of the oldest goals of the United Nations. She was the subject in 1946. Also, starting in 1959, along with general and complete disarmament, it was included in the agenda of the General Assembly. It has been the main theme of review conferences held at the UN since 1975 by member states. It was identified as one of the priorities of the first disarmament policy in 1978, which paid special attention to the problem of nuclear disarmament. Plus was supported by each of the Secretaries General of the United Nations.

However, today there are about 14,000 nuclear weapons in the arsenals of countries around the world. Countries possessing such weapons have no problems with financing and have developed long-term plans to modernize their nuclear arsenals. More than half the world's population lives in countries that either have such weapons or are members of nuclear alliances. No nuclear weapons have been physically destroyed in accordance with any bilateral or multilateral treaty, and no nuclear disarmament negotiations are ongoing. Meanwhile, the doctrine of nuclear deterrence remains as an element of the security policy of all nuclear states and their nuclear allies. Security challenges cannot serve as a basis for continuing to maintain nuclear capabilities and refuse to seek ways to strengthen world peace.

These facts prompted the General Assembly to celebrate September 26 as the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. This Day will allow the world community to reaffirm its commitment to global nuclear disarmament as a top priority. As we mark the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, we educate the public and its leaders about the real benefits of eliminating such weapons, as well as the associated socio-economic costs. It is especially important to celebrate this Day at the United Nations, given the universality of the Organization's membership and many years of experience in addressing nuclear disarmament issues. This is a landmark place for solving one of the main problems of humanity, for achieving peace and security in a world without nuclear weapons.

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, adopted on July 7, 2017, was an important step towards achieving a world free of nuclear weapons. It contains the provision that each State Party undertakes never, under any circumstances, to develop, test, produce, manufacture, otherwise acquire, possess or stockpile nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices . The treaty will enter into legal force after it is ratified by 50 states.

On May 24, 2018, the Secretary General announced the start of implementation. It addresses the issue of eliminating nuclear weapons with the goal of “disarmament to save humanity.” In the document, the Secretary-General calls for the resumption of dialogue and negotiations on nuclear arms control and disarmament. It also supports the creation and dissemination of legal norms aimed at the elimination of nuclear weapons and, in this regard, calls on nuclear-capable states to reach a consensus that nuclear war cannot be won and should never happen. The agenda proposes creating a world free of nuclear weapons through a series of risk reduction measures, in particular stopping the production of fissile materials. A number of concrete actions are proposed to advance the agenda.

Why are international days needed?

International days are an occasion to educate the general public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global challenges, and to celebrate and strengthen human achievements. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful tool for raising awareness about issues. >>

Only another atomic weapon can protect against nuclear weapons. However, this will lead to disaster throughout the world. To avoid such consequences, it is necessary to eliminate it, including other weapons of mass destruction. This world holiday is dedicated to the day that calls for the destruction and limitation of nuclear weapons, in one way or another to minimize their role and participation in the foreign policy of the state, when the Governments of countries think about the benefits of disarmament.

When it passes

The International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons is celebrated on September 26. It was proclaimed on December 5, 2013 at the 60th plenary meeting of the UN General Assembly by resolution No. A/RES/68/32. In 2020 it will be celebrated for the 7th time. Russia joins the celebration of the date.

Who celebrates

The International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons is celebrated by all countries and their populations interested in this goal.

history of the holiday

This goal is one of the oldest in UN activities. It was first voiced and legally enshrined in the 1946 resolution. Then it was repeatedly included in the agendas and plans of meetings (1959, 1975). Treaties on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons were signed. In 1978, a separate special session was devoted to this topic. It became a landmark for the UN, as this goal was approved by all secretaries general of the United Nations.

However, today many countries are in no hurry to eliminate their nuclear weapons, having developed long-term plans for their modernization. Given the current situation, the UN decided to officially establish this holiday to remind member states of the priority task in foreign policy, the benefits of disarmament and the costs in social and economic terms.

According to the UN, states (as of 2014) have not physically eliminated a single unit of atomic weapons on the basis of bilateral or multilateral treaties, and are not negotiating nuclear disarmament.

The nuclear “Tsar Bomb” (AN602) was created by Academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences I. Kurchatov. Its power was about 58 megatons, and during testing at the test site (October 30, 1960) it destroyed all life. During the explosion, the nuclear mushroom reached a height of 67 km, and the fireball of the explosion within a radius was approximately 4.6 km. The sound wave spread over a distance of 800 kilometers.

On the cover of one of the American magazines, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientist, an image of a clock is periodically printed indicating the time until Judgment Day, which will occur as a result of a nuclear conflict. The last publication of this clock was in 2012, and it showed the time 23:55 (five minutes past midnight). And in 1953 they showed a time of 23:58 - this was the year when the USSR and the USA tested thermonuclear bombs.

September 26th is celebrated around the world International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons(International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons). It is one of the international holidays in the United Nations system and was established in December 2013 by the relevant resolution of the UN General Assembly (No. A/RES/68/32).

The main goal of setting this date is to attract the attention of the world community to the need for global nuclear disarmament and inform the public about the benefits of eliminating nuclear weapons. After all, one of the main tasks of humanity is to achieve peace and security on the planet without nuclear weapons.

The complete elimination of nuclear weapons in all countries of the world is one of the main and oldest goals of the UN. It became the subject of the first resolution of the General Assembly in 1946, in which it was first voiced and legally enshrined. In subsequent years, this topic was repeatedly included in the agendas and plans of meetings (1959, 1975), and was also identified as one of the priorities of the first special session of the General Assembly on disarmament in 1978, which paid special attention to the problem of nuclear disarmament. In addition, this goal was approved and supported by each of the UN Secretaries General.

As a result, several Treaties on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons were signed over the years. However, despite all the efforts of the UN, and despite the adoption of bilateral and multilateral treaties, as of 2016, not a single nuclear weapon has been physically destroyed in the world, and in the arsenals of various countries in the world there are a total of about 14,000 nuclear weapons. weapons. And today, more than half of the population of our planet lives in countries that have nuclear weapons or are members of nuclear alliances.

Therefore, it is not surprising that every year the world is increasingly concerned about the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of the use of even one nuclear warhead, not to mention a regional or global nuclear war. However, no negotiations on nuclear disarmament are currently underway anywhere. And countries possessing such weapons have also developed long-term plans to modernize their nuclear arsenals. Therefore, the problem of nuclear disarmament in our time is very acute and is a priority.

The sculpture depicting St. George slaying a dragon was created using fragments of a Soviet SS-20 missile and a US Pershing nuclear missile (Photo: UN/Milton Grant)

The 8th UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, on the occasion of the International Day for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons in 2015, recalling the 70th anniversary of the terrible date - the first and last use of nuclear weapons during the war, also expressed regret that today between states - Members are increasingly divided over how and when to achieve the goal of a world free of nuclear weapons.

He called on all States to take a constructive approach and find ways to move forward. In addition, according to the UN chief, the elimination of nuclear weapons will free up enormous resources that can be used to implement the 2030 sustainable development agenda.

After all, the use of nuclear weapons somewhere in one place in the world will lead to disaster on the entire planet. And in order to avoid such consequences, it is necessary to eliminate it, including other weapons of mass destruction. The only absolute guarantee that nuclear weapons will never be used is their complete elimination.

Taking into account all the identified facts and the current situation, the UN decided to officially establish this date - the Day of the Struggle for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, in order to once again remind the participating states of the priority task in foreign policy, the benefits of disarmament and the costs in social and economic terms. And, of course, to once again call for the destruction and limitation of nuclear weapons, in one way or another to minimize their role and participation in the state’s foreign policy.

Today, the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons is celebrated by all countries and their populations interested in this goal. Despite the youth of the holiday, various events are held on this day in a number of countries - flash mobs, demonstrations of short films and the distribution of propaganda materials on the topic of disarmament and against nuclear weapons. After all, it is this Day that will allow the world community to reaffirm its commitment to global nuclear disarmament as a top priority.

Today, almost 15 thousand units of atomic weapons are concentrated in the arsenal of the world's states. Countries that have it usually have no apparent problems with constant funding and implementation of long-term plans for the comprehensive modernization of nuclear capabilities. This state of affairs will inevitably lead to a large-scale catastrophe of a planetary nature.

To avoid this, it is necessary to completely or partially eliminate the weapon. However, not a single large-scale nuclear unit belonging to nuclear powers has yet been destroyed, and no negotiations on this topic are currently even being conducted. The United Nations decided to put an end to the global danger by approving the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. It is celebrated annually and acts as a kind of call for complete nuclear disarmament, showing the benefits of this process.

History of the establishment of the memorial date

The festival itself is relatively young. In December 2013, the UN, with the participation of individual states, ratified the documentation regulating the introduction of the celebration. Its main focus is informing the population about potential threats, involving the public in the fight for the elimination of such weapons, as well as building a new model of the world, completely without the military potential of mass destruction.

The United Nations began thinking about resolving such an important issue back in the 40s. The problem was raised at a meeting in 1946, however, no clear action plan was developed then. In March 2017, the General Assembly announced the start of important international negotiations aimed at developing the final text of the Convention on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. It was not possible to reach a consensus, since about 40 countries did not participate in the discussion. The final document was agreed upon 4 months later. The Convention stipulates that countries that have accepted its text undertake not to acquire, independently develop or conduct tests, as well as to provide comprehensive assistance to states affected by nuclear explosions.

It is noteworthy that the Russian Federation, represented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed a negative opinion about the document and its fundamental principles. Of course, Russia is committed to the idea of ​​preserving peace without the use of combat potential and makes its feasible contribution to global efforts to eliminate it, but at the same time, the Ministry sees it as the best option for containing the aggression of individual states. Thus, in accordance with the adopted Treaty of 2010 on the adoption of appropriate measures to ensure the reduction of strategic offensive weapons, our dear Fatherland decided to reduce the number of ammunition by a third and reduce the arsenal content of non-strategic nuclear weapons by 4 times, thereby fulfilling its obligations in full.

How the date is celebrated in Russia and foreign countries

The celebration is celebrated by all concerned citizens, including specialists involved in the implementation of thematic events at the state and international level. The International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons is an excellent time to remind modern countries of the priorities of their foreign policy activities, while pointing out the visible benefits of disarmament and reducing economic costs.

The complete elimination of nuclear weapons is one of the oldest goals of the United Nations. It was the subject of the first General Assembly resolution in 1946. Also, starting in 1959, along with general and complete disarmament, it was included in the agenda of the General Assembly. It has been the main theme of review conferences held at the UN since 1975 by states party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. It was identified as one of the priorities of the first special session of the General Assembly on disarmament in 1978, which paid special attention to the problem of nuclear disarmament. Plus was supported by each of the Secretaries General of the United Nations.

However, today there are about 15,000 nuclear weapons in the arsenals of countries around the world. Countries possessing such weapons have no problems with financing and have developed long-term plans to modernize their nuclear arsenals. More than half the world's population lives in countries that either have such weapons or are members of nuclear alliances. No nuclear weapons have been physically destroyed in accordance with any bilateral or multilateral treaty, and no nuclear disarmament negotiations are ongoing. Meanwhile, the doctrine of nuclear deterrence remains as an element of the security policy of all nuclear states and their nuclear allies. Security challenges cannot serve as a basis for continuing to maintain nuclear capabilities and refuse to seek ways to strengthen world peace.

These facts prompted the General Assembly to establish September 26 as the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. This Day will allow the world community to reaffirm its commitment to global nuclear disarmament as a top priority. As we mark the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, we educate the public and its leaders about the real benefits of eliminating such weapons, as well as the associated socio-economic costs. It is especially important to celebrate this Day at the United Nations, given the universality of the Organization's membership and many years of experience in addressing nuclear disarmament issues. This is a landmark place for solving one of the main problems of humanity, for achieving peace and security in a world without nuclear weapons.

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, adopted on July 7, 2017, was an important step towards achieving a world free of nuclear weapons. It contains the provision that each State Party undertakes never, under any circumstances, to develop, test, produce, manufacture, otherwise acquire, possess or stockpile nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices . The treaty will enter into legal force after it is ratified by 50 states.