Secretary-General remarks at the informal meeting of the General Assembly to mark the International Day against Nuclear Tests

Nuclear disarmament has always been a priority for me, and ending testing is a central component. The International Day against Nuclear Tests recognizes two critical events. On this day in 1991, Kazakhstan closed a nuclear test site near Semipalatinsk. On that same date in 1949, the Soviet Union conducted its first nuclear test. This was followed by another 455 nuclear tests, with a terrible effect on local population and environment. I saw some of the enduring aftermath, and I spoke to people affected when I visited Semipalatinsk myself in April 2010, and I commend the visionary leadership and courage of President Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan by unilaterally and decisively closing the site in Semipalatinsk.