In his message on the International Day against Nuclear Tests, 29 August 2015, Ban called for all remaining states – especially the eight necessary for its entry-into-force- to sign the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
"This year marks the 70th anniversary of the dawn of the nuclear age. Seven decades ago, the Trinity Test unleashed the power of more than 20,000 tons of TNT and precipitated over 2,000 additional nuclear tests," Ban wrote.
Ban reiterated that pristine environments and populated communities in Central Asia, North Africa, North America and the South Pacific were hit. "Many have never recovered from the resulting environmental, health and economic damage."
He pointed to poisoned groundwater, cancer, leukaemia, radioactive fallout as the poisonous legacies of nuclear testing and underlined that the best way to honor the victims of past tests is to prevent any in the future.
"The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty is essential for the elimination of nuclear weapons," Ban said, adding that it is a legally-binding, verifiable means by which to constrain the quantitative and qualitative development of nuclear weapons.
In his message, Ban welcomed the voluntary moratoria on testing imposed by nuclear-armed States, saying that, "At the same time, I stress that these cannot substitute for a legally-binding Treaty."
UN Secretary General repeated his longstanding call on all remaining States to sign and ratify the Treaty – especially the eight necessary for its entry-into-force – as a critical step on the road to a nuclear-weapon-free world.
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