On 2 September 2026, a commemoration event was held at the Vienna International Centre to mark the International Day against Nuclear Tests and three landmark anniversaries in 2026: the 35^th Anniversary of the closure of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site, the 30^th Anniversary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), and the 20^th Anniversary of the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia.

The event was jointly organized by the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), the Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan to the International Organizations in Vienna, and the Vienna Office of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA).

Participants underscored the historic significance of Kazakhstan’s decision, taken on 29 August 1991, to close the Semipalatinsk Test Site. Over more than four decades, 456 nuclear tests were conducted there, with their consequences affecting public health and the environment for generations. The closure of the Test Site sent an important political signal to the international community and was among the developments that contributed to the emergence of a global norm against nuclear testing.

CTBTO Executive Secretary Dr Robert Floyd highlighted Kazakhstan’s significant contribution to the development of the global norm against nuclear testing and to the international system for monitoring compliance with the CTBT. He also noted the practical steps taken by Kazakhstan to strengthen the Treaty’s verification mechanisms.

Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the International Organizations in Vienna Yerzhan Kuatbekov stressed that the legacy of Semipalatinsk has given Kazakhstan a distinctive role in international efforts to prevent nuclear testing. Referring to the address by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on the occasion of the International Day against Nuclear Tests, he noted that the 35^th Anniversary of the Test Site’s closure should serve as a reminder to all humanity of the tragic consequences of nuclear testing and as a call to prevent their recurrence.

By voluntarily renouncing the world’s fourth-largest nuclear arsenal, Kazakhstan made a conscious choice in favour of peace, security and sustainable development. Today, this choice continues to shape and reinforce the country’s position in support of dialogue among nuclear-weapon States, the earliest possible entry into force of the CTBT, strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime, and decisive multilateral efforts to eliminate nuclear threats.

Head of the Vienna Office of UNODA Rebecca Jovin highly commended Kazakhstan’s consistent commitment to actively advancing the international agenda on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, emphasizing the importance of continued cooperation among States and international organizations.

The event also brought together national operators of CTBTO International Monitoring System stations, whose work ensures their continuous operation and makes a direct contribution to the reliability of the global verification mechanism. Among them was Abylay Uzbekov, Senior Researcher at the Data Centre of the Institute of Geophysical Research of the National Nuclear Center of Kazakhstan, who provided a detailed account of Kazakhstan’s practical role in supporting the operation of the five stations located on its territory.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-vienna/press/news/details/1285443?lang=ru