Kazakhstan and CTBTO urge states to uphold nuclear test moratorium
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Kazakhstan and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization called on all states to uphold nuclear test moratoriums and for those that have not signed or ratified the treaty to do so without delay. The joint appeal was issued on the International Day against Nuclear Tests by Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev and CTBTO Executive Secretary Robert Floyd. The call comes 35 years after the closure of the Semipalatinsk test site, where over 450 nuclear tests were conducted.
Key Facts
- The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty has been signed by 188 states and ratified by 179, but it has not yet entered into force.
- Kazakhstan closed the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site on 29 August 1991, after more than 450 nuclear tests were conducted there over four decades.
- Kazakhstan hosts five stations of the International Monitoring System, operated by the National Nuclear Center.
- In 2026, the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty marks 20 years since its signing.
Joint Appeal
Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev and CTBTO Executive Secretary Robert Floyd issued the joint statement on the International Day against Nuclear Tests. The statement urges all states to uphold and reaffirm existing moratoriums on nuclear tests. It also strongly recommends that states which have not signed or ratified the CTBT do so without delay.
Semipalatinsk Legacy
Kazakhstan closed the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site on 29 August 1991. Over four decades, more than 450 nuclear tests were conducted at the site. The closure is described in the statement as an important political signal that contributed to the adoption of the CTBT in 1996.
Treaty Status and Monitoring
The CTBT has been signed by 188 states and ratified by 179, but has not entered into force. Kazakhstan and the CTBTO stressed the need to achieve entry into force and legally codify a complete ban on nuclear tests. Kazakhstan participates in the international verification system, hosting five monitoring stations operated by the National Nuclear Center. Globally, 308 facilities are certified under the system, including 293 monitoring stations and 15 radionuclide laboratories.
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Kazakhstan and CTBTO urge states to uphold nuclear test moratorium
