It marks the anniversary of the day in 1991 when the President of Kazakhstan closed the test site at Semipalatinsk, where 456 nuclear tests conducted during the cold war era devastated the landscape and left enduring effects on the local population. I witnessed this toxic legacy first-hand when I visited Semipalatinsk earlier this year, the message said.

“Today, with Kazakhstan having banished nuclear weapons and joined in creating a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Central Asia, Semipalatinsk has become a powerful symbol of hope. It tells us that a world free of nuclear weapons is achievable”.

Bold initiatives by world leaders and civil society are showing the way toward changed policies and reduced arsenals, the UN head said.

“I look forward to working with all partners to rein in spending on nuclear weapons and rid the world of the nuclear threat. An important stepping stone toward this end is the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). By constraining the development and qualitative improvement of nuclear weapons, the Treaty is an important tool in strengthening the global nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament regime”.

“The CTBT was adopted in 1996 but has yet to enter into force. I have called for a timeline of achieving this goal by 2012. Pending the Treaty’s entry into force, I urge all States to implement a moratorium on all nuclear explosions”, he said.

“It is time to close all nuclear test sites and address the harm they have caused. It is time we brought the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty into force. It is time for all to seek the security of a world without nuclear weapons. We cannot pass these challenges to succeeding generations. We must each do our part to build a safer, more secure world today”, the UN chief underlined.