International Day against Nuclear Tests 2026 at UNON

Morning everybody. Your Excellency Mr. Balibay Sadikov, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Republic of Kenya. Your Excellency Mr. Hiroshi Matsura, Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Kenya. Mrs. Zainab Hawa Bangura, Under-Secretary-General and Director-General of the UN Office at Nairobi. Ms. Inger Andersen, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme. Ms. Anna Claudia Rosbach, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director, UN-Habitat. Excellencies, distinguished guests, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, good morning. I am Sandra Masharia, the Director of the United Nations Information Service Nairobi, and it is my pleasure to welcome you to this observance of the International Day Against Nuclear Tests under the theme humanitarian and ecological consequences of nuclear weapons use and testing. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the International Day against Nuclear Tests is observed by the United Nations on the 29th of August each year in accordance with the UN General Assembly Resolution 64/35 of the 2nd of December, 2009. The resolution emphasizes that every effort should be made to end nuclear tests in order to avert devastating and harmful effects on the lives and health of people and the environment, and that the end of nuclear tests is one of the key means of achieving the goal of a nuclear weapon-free world. As part of the observance today, there will be a cultural segment, a Japanese tea ceremony with Kazakh chocolates here in this room. And finally, one additional point before we kick off the rest of our program. As you came in today, you will have seen a poster exhibition in the main lobby just up the stairs, which we invite you to view. The exhibit is titled Consequences of Use and Testing of Nuclear Weapons, Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Semipalatinsk. and has been organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Republic of Kenya and the organizing committee of the Atomic Bombing Exhibition in Nairobi. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, to begin our program--.

General and Executive Director of UN Habitat. Excellencies, distinguished guests, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, good morning. I would like to warmly welcome you to the first observance at UNON of the International Day Against Nuclear Tests. It is my honor, as is customary, to read the message of the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Guterres, which is dedicated to this day. And I quote, "This day reminds us of the devastating consequences of nuclear testings. Lessons humanity has learned through bitter experiences. It is time to reflect on the victims and the survivors of nuclear testing whose lives, lands and descendants have been scarred by nuclear explosion. Their suffering is not history. It is a warning. At this moment of geopolitical tension, division and distrust, it is more important than ever that we heed that warning. This year marks 30 years since the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty opened for signature, and 35 years since the closure of the Semipalatinsk nuclear sites test. Such milestones remind us that humanity can and must choose restraint over ruin. Nuclear tests do not prove strength. They shatter trust, invite reciprocal tests, fuel a nuclear arms race and betray every community still living in the legacy of past nuclear tests. The world must never witness another nuclear explosion. I call on all states possessing nuclear weapons to maintain existing moratoria and to act to bring the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty into force without delay. Let's remember why this day exists. Let's recommit to ending nuclear testing." End of quote. Thank you, Asante-Sarrah.

Thank you, Madam Director General. It is now my pleasure to invite His Excellency Mr. Balibay Sadykov, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Republic of Kenya to deliver his remarks. Welcome, Ambassador.

Thank you, Madam Sandra. His Excellency Mr. Hiroshi Matsura, Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Kenya. His Excellency Ms. Zainab Hawa Bangura, Under-Secretary-General and Director-General of the United Nations Office at Nairobi. His Excellency Ms. Inger Andersen, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme. Her Excellency Ms. Anna Claudia Rosbach, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlement Programme. Excellencies, distinguished participants, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, allow me first to express our sincere gratitude to the Secretariat of the United Nations Office at Nairobi and, in particular, to Ms. Zainab Hawa Bangura, Under Secretary General and Director General of the United Nations Office at Nairobi, to Ms. Sandra Macharia, Director of the United Nations Information Service, to His Excellency Mr. Hiroshi Matsura, Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Kenya, and the organizing committee of the exhibition on the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We deeply appreciate your support and joint efforts in organizing this important meeting and exhibition dedicated to the International Day Against Nuclear Tests. Distinguished participants, 35 years ago, on 29th August 1991, Kazakhstan took a decision that would become a defining moment in the country's history and an important milestone in the global struggle against nuclear testing. By presidential decree, Kazakhstan permanently closed the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, one of the largest nuclear test sites in the world. For more than four decades, 456 nuclear tests were conducted at the Semipalatinsk test site, 30 atmospheric, 86 above ground, and 340 underground nuclear explosions. And behind every number of explosions are people who suffered from nuclear tests, families, communities, children yet to be born. The closure of the Semipalatinsk test site was the result of the strong determination and will of the people of Kazakhstan. In 1989, the first major anti-nuclear movement in Kazakhstan emerged, under the leadership of the renowned Kazakh poet and activist, Olzhas Zhuliyenov. The Semipalatinsk Nevada anti-nuclear movement called for the closure of the test site and demonstrated that ordinary people, when united by a common cause, can influence the course of history. Its name reflected solidarity with similar movements in the United States. that sought an end to nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site. Pursuant to a United Nations General Assembly resolution initiated by Kazakhstan in 2009, 29 August is observed as the International Day Against Nuclear Tests. The day serves to raise awareness of the devastating consequences of nuclear testing and to strengthen international efforts towards its prohibition. This experience became part of Kazakhstan's enduring commitment to nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation, and the prohibition of nuclear testing. Distinguished participants, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 have become one of the greatest tragedies in human history. For 81 years, this tragedy has been commemorated as a time of remembrance and mourning. For the people of Kazakhstan who have endured the tragedy of nuclear testing, the pain and suffering experienced by the people of Japan are deeply understood. For humanity, they are a permanent reminder of the catastrophic consequences of nuclear weapons use. The humanitarian and environmental consequences of nuclear testing in Kazakhstan were catastrophic. The Semipalatinsk test site covered 18,000 square kilometers, an area profoundly affected by radioactive contamination. Approximately 1.5 million people were exposed to high levels of radiation, with consequences that have continued to affect generations. The impact has been felt through increased health problems, congenital birth defects, and the long-term psychological and social consequences of living with the legacy of nuclear testing. The environmental consequences have also been profound. Contamination of soil, restrictions on land use, the need for long-term monitoring of radioactive pathways through water, and the continuing risk of radioactive particles being transported by wind and entering the food chain through plants and animals. From the first days of its independence, Kazakhstan therefore took concrete steps to address this legacy. Within the framework of the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, Kazakhstan, together with the United States and the Russian Federation, dismantled and eliminated all the military infrastructure of the nuclear test site. Based on scientific facilities of the testing site, Kazakhstan has established National Nuclear Center, the world-class scientific and technological complex, working now to advance international security and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The center conducted comprehensive environmental assessments, alongside remediation and other measures to address the consequences of nuclear testing. In 1992, Kazakhstan adopted the law on social protection of citizens who suffered from nuclear tests at the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site. And the government of Kazakhstan continues to provide direct support to affected populations. Since 1997, the United Nations General Assembly has adopted resolutions entitled International Cooperation and Coordination for the Human and Ecological Rehabilitation and Economic Development of the Semipalatinsk Region of Kazakhstan, calling for continued international cooperation. We remain grateful to all countries and international organizations that have supported Kazakhstan in overcoming this difficult legacy. Distinguished participants, on 29 August, 2026, on the occasion of the International Day Against Nuclear Tests, President of Kazakhstan, His Excellency Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, reaffirmed Kazakhstan's unwavering commitment to a world free of nuclear testing and nuclear threats. As he stated, 35 years ago, Kazakhstan closed the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, and later renounced the world's fourth largest nuclear arsenal, a historic choice for peace, security and future generations. Kazakhstan calls for dialogue among nuclear powers, the early entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and decisive multilateral action to eliminate the threat of nuclear weapons, end of quote. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the signing of the treaty on a nuclear weapon free zone in Central Asia, which Kazakhstan is sharing this year. The state parties to the treaty continue to cooperate actively with other nuclear weapon free zones around the world. We particularly welcome the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the Central Asian nuclear weapon free zone and the African Commission on Nuclear Energy, AFRCON. which provides for cooperation in the fields of nuclear safety, physical protection of nuclear material and facilities, peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Distinguished participants, the tragedy of Semipalatinsk must never be repeated. Humanitarian and environmental consequences of nuclear testing remind us of a shared responsibility of states to prevent such tragedies from ever recurring. On this International Day Against Nuclear Tests, Kazakhstan calls upon all countries to unite in strengthening international efforts to prevent further nuclear testing and to advance the cause of nuclear disarmament. Let us remember the victims. Let us listen to the lessons of history. And above all, let us ensure that the suffering caused by nuclear weapons is never repeated. Thank you.

Thank you, Your Excellency. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, we will now turn to a documentary film about the closure of Semipalatinsk nuclear test site. Colleagues in the technical booth, please dim the lights. Thank you.

August the 29th we commemorative of the closure of the Semipalatinsk test site is a day of both sorrow and hope our history August 1949 the first Soviet atomic bomb is detonated at the Semipalatinsk test site hundreds more were to follow Our tragedy, explosions that left non-healing wounds on the soil of Kazakhstan. Four decades of testing took a devastating toll on human health, the environment, flora and fauna, which may take thousands of years to recover. Our choice. 1989, the anti-nuclear movement Nevada Semipalatinsk begins with protests, marches for peace and rallies for a total ban on nuclear tests. 1991, the first president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev made a final decision which put an end to the sufferings of Kazakhstan's people and closed the site. Our priorities. The independent Kazakhstan has embarked on the struggle for a world free of nuclear weapons. In 1992, Kazakhstan signed the Lisbon Protocol to accede to the START I Treaty. In 1993, the country ratified the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons as a non-nuclear state. In 1996, Kazakhstan became a party to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Our actions. By 1995, in cooperation with Russia and the United States, Kazakhstan had completely rid itself of the nuclear arsenal it inherited from the Soviet Union, the world's fourth largest at the moment. The decontamination of nuclear test sites territory continues. Our recognition. In 2006, as a result of a thorough and meticulous work of five Central Asian states, in September 2006, in the city of Semipalatinsk, the Treaty on a Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia was signed. In 2009, approving the proposal of Kazakhstan, the United Nations General Assembly declared August 29 as the International Day Against Nuclear Tests. Our initiatives. In 2012 Kazakhstan launched the ATOM project, an international information campaign against nuclear weapons. In 2016 the Nazarbayev Prize for a Nuclear-Weapon-Free World and Global Security was established. In August 2017, the Low-Enriched Uranium Bank under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency opened in Kazakhstan. In 2020, at the UN General Assembly, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev urges all P5 countries to ratify the respective protocols to the Nuclear Weapon Free Zone treaties, including Semipalatinsk Treaty. Our mission. Since 1991 and well into the future, we dream to leave our descendants a safe and nuclear weapons free world.

Following that short documentary, it is now my honor to invite His Excellency Mr. Hiroshi Matsura, Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Kenya, to deliver his remarks. Your Excellency.

Ambassador Sadikof, ED Bangura, DG Bangura, sorry, DG Bangura, ED Anderson, DG Rosbach, dear colleagues and friends of embassies, UNON, UNEP, UN Habitat, other UN agencies, and friends joining us online from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Good morning. It is my pleasure to join you today for this important opportunity to renew our determinations to realize a world free of nuclear weapons through the discussion of the severe consequences of use and test of nuclear weapons. First, I pay deep respect for Kazakhstan's decision 35 years ago this week to close the Semipalatinsk test site permanently. Disclosure, this choice of the Kazakh people was an act of extraordinary courage. I admire and congratulate the resolution of the Kazakh people to stop the spread of the nuclear testing in the world by foreclosing any such tests from their own national soil. I present today the case of the use of nuclear weapons, putting Hiroshima and Nagasaki together. Japan has been doing so for many years, so numerous times as the only country that experienced nuclear bombing. Nevertheless, I believe it is worth repeating once again in order for us to recall the magnitude of the disaster caused by the use because By doing so, we ascertain that, yes, to realize a world free of nuclear weapons is critical for the survival of the humankind. In retrospect, the bombs used at Hiroshima and Nagasaki were very limited in their capacity. Their lethal capacity was small, as small as just a couple of 10,000 of the capacity of today's single bomb. There are no multiple warheads. The launching speed was zero. The stealth ability was zero because they were just bombs dropped out from the bomber aircrafts. In every aspect, they were baby bombs or rather toy bombs from today's standard. Still, They managed to kill hundreds of thousands of people just by the power of the two. The temperature of the land surface rose to 3,000 to 4,000 degrees Celsius immediately. All the citizens who were within the 500 meters radius died instantly. By the end of 1945, approximately 200,000 people died by the effects of the bombs. To date, over half a million people have died in total by the effects of the bombs because the effects took the lives of some 300,000 people late. And even today, close to 100,000 people remain suffering from the effects. Since that year, since that bomb attacks, we, the humankind, have learned that we should never use nuclear weapons, or rather, we cannot use them at all. You do not need a special imagination to understand that the attacks and the counterattacks, revenge attacks using today's hyper powerful nuclear weapons are a sure and instant way to destroy the whole mankind and the civilization. but we still keep accumulating them. Do we have reason? We have to ask ourselves, do we have reason? Let's save our mankind and civilization. Let's realize a world free of nuclear weapons. As the first steps to reach there, let's produce the conditions of the world politics that are conducive to stopping the spread and use of nuclear weapons. Let's do what we can do through diplomacy. Nairobi is the right place to start that. UNON is the right place to start that. I hope that the poster exhibition which we will open today will remain ourselves the same message and convey that message to the wider public. Lastly, I pay tribute to the hard work of the organizing committee as always to offer us such a precious opportunity for discussing one of the most pressing issues of the world today. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Your Excellency. Distinguished guests, we will now hear two testimonies of the human health and environmental impacts of atomic bombings. Joining us online are Mr. Tomihiro Nakamura, a survivor of the atomic bombing in Hiroshima, also known as hibakusha, and Ms. Mamiko Goto, a second-generation hibakusha. Mr. Tomihiro Nakamura was 12 years old when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on the 6th of August 1945. He has been sharing his testimony with younger generations, and we are honored to have him engage with our observance at UNON today. We're going to hand over to Mr. Nakamura. Welcome.

Good morning. I am Tomi Iyanaka. Thank you for inviting me to the ceremony International Day Against Nuclear Tests. When the atomic bombs were dropped, I was 12 years old. I will remember already living hell. witness on that day. I'm currently 93 years old. I am everything. My testimony at various occasions and would like to continue to do so in the future. Today, I wish to talk briefly. about a part of my testimony. At that time, I was a first grade student in secondary school. The students were mobilized every day in demolishing houses to prevent spread of fire in case of bombing. On that day, however, Due to severe diarrhea, I was absent from work for the first time since I started my secondary school. I was resting at my house two kilometers away from the hypocenter. My best friend, Ueda Akun, from my primary school time came to my house, invite me to go to the workplace together. But I had to go there. He had to go there by himself. This is the last time I saw him. At 8:15 hours, some 40 minutes after I saw Wedas, There was a dazzling flash light in the direction of the garden. At the same time, together with ear-splitting explosion, devastating explosion went through. The wall of the house fell down me with a lot of dust, and I was surrounded by the complete darkness. Fortunately, the fallen wall left me a small space that prevented me from being smashed to death. After quite some time, I managed to make a hole of about 40 centimeter diameter and managed to squeeze through the hole. The city center was already burning. What to do? But directed to go to the evacuation place where my mother, brother and sister were staying. I started walking and saw living hell beyond description. security seriously burned with the face black and swollen and with hand skin banking down. A person with his body stuck and shattered glasses and being all over his body. people who could not move under the collapsed houses. Many injured were looking for help and asked for water. Suffering from diarrhea, I could not help them and continued walking while removing wood and grass pieces sticking to the bottom of my bare feet. People drinking dirty water from the, firefighting pages on the river. My injured, many injured and dead bodies were floating down in the river. At the bridge, the injured gathered and they were rolling help. of water. After a few days, I went to the city. Then I met my friend, Ueda-kun's parents. "When are you arriving, Nakamura-kun?" The words stabbed my heart. I survived. guilt that survived, rather than any feeling of escaping death. I was consumed by agony and guilt that I could not save anyone else. When running away from the sea of fire, due to the basis bias against the hibakusha, I did not reveal for a long time the fact that I was a survivor of the atomic bombing. Around this time, the 60th anniversary of the atomic bombing, I recognize that conveying my testimony is important pathway to prevent such a help from happening ever again and started sharing my testimony priority for activity. I would like to my testimony to be heard by many as possible. I wish people to know how inhuman the atomic bombs are. Please visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial memories and feel the inhuman nature of atomic bombs from many pictures and articles of the exhibition that they hear. I request that each of us leads the action towards total elimination This is a sincere wish of hibakusha. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Nakamura, for sharing your very moving testimony with us. Distinguished guests, we will now hear our second testimony. Ms. Mamiko Goto is the daughter of the late Mr. Yoshiro Yamawaki, a hibakusha in Nagasaki. Mr. Yamawaki shared his message with the United Nations and at other international meetings. Today, Ms. Goto continues to share her father's message to the world. I now invite Ms. Mamiko Goto to share her testimony with us. Welcome, Ms. Goto.

Thank you. Dear participants, my name is Mamiko Goto, and I am a second-generation survivor of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. Thank you very much for inviting me to this important event organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Kenya and the organizing committee for the Atomic Bombing Exhibition in Nairobi. My father, Yoshiro Yamawaki, was 11 years old when he experienced the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. He was at home 2.2 kilometers from the hypocenter. His father, my grandfather, was working at a factory near the hypocenter and lost his life in the bombing. Together with his brothers, my father was forced to cremate him. After turning 60, my father began sharing his experience as an atomic bomb survivor. He taught himself English and used it to advocate globally for the abolition of nuclear weapons. In 2010, the Japanese government appointed him as the first Special Communicator for a World Without Nuclear Weapons. On the 9th August 2019, Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Day, he delivered the Pledge of Peace at the Nagasaki Peace Ceremony on behalf of the survivors. Speaking in English at the Nagasaki Peace Ceremony, speaking in English, he appealed to the world, please lend us your strength. to eliminate nuclear weapons from the face of the earth and make sure that Nagasaki is the last place on earth to suffer an atomic bombing. When he was 35 years old, my father began suffering from liver and kidney problems. As a result, He was hospitalized at the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Hospital 15 times and underwent interferon and other treatment. Later, he was diagnosed with stomach cancer and underwent surgery in October 2008 and January 2010. His older brother and his twin brother also developed cancer. My father often told me that a university professor once wrote that the atomic bomb killed people three times over. He believed these words accurately captured the horrific nature of bombs three destructive forces. Its intense heat, its devastating blast, and its deadly radiation. He prayed that no one would ever experience the brutal tragedy he witnessed at the age of eleven. Yet there are still many people around the world who do not fully understand the fear and cruelty of nuclear weapons. At the same time, the world continues to face growing tensions, armed conflicts, and wars. My father remained a passionate advocate for a world free of nuclear weapons until his final days. He believed that the most powerful way to communicate the realities of the atomic bombing was through the testimonies of the survivors themselves. Watching how my father lived, I came to believe that When we act with conviction, our message can reach others. That is how I learned the importance of taking action. This year marks the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing. The number of survivors is decreasing every year, making opportunity to hear firsthand testimonies increasing rare. While sharing these stories is becoming more difficult, it is also becoming more important than ever. Nuclear weapons are not just a problem for one country, they are a threat to all humanity. Many people around the world have never had the opportunity to learn about the true realities of the atomic bombing. That is why it is so important. to continue sharing the experience of survivors. By doing so, we ensure that history is not forgotten and foster empathy and understanding across borders. I believe that empathy inspires action, and action has the power to shape a better future. I grew up in Nagasaki where schools provided many opportunities to learn about war, the atomic bombing, and the importance of peace. Today, however, I live in Hokkaido. Compared with my years in Nagasaki, I feel that there are fewer occasions here to think about peace and disarmament and in my everyday interactions, I sometimes sense differences in people's interest in and understanding of war, the atomic bombing, and peace. Even within Japan, Awareness of this issue seems to me to vary. Because of this, I hesitated for many years to speak publicly about war and the atomic bombing. However, as a second generation survivor, I have always carried my father's example with me. Eventually, I realized that nothing would change unless I found the courage to speak out. My greatest challenge was taking that very first step. I hope you will have the opportunity to visit the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Atomic Bombing Poster Exhibition online platform and watch my father, Yoshiro Yamawaki's full testimony. I sincerely hope that his words will touch the heart of many people around the world. Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone present today, as well as to the members of the organizing committee for making this event possible. Thank you very much for your attention. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Ms. Goto, for sharing the story of your father, Mr. Yoshiro Yamawaki, with us. Mr. Nakamura and Ms. Goto, we are deeply grateful to you both for joining us today and for sharing your experiences. Thank you again. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I now have the pleasure of inviting Ms. Inga Andersen, UN Under Secretary General and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme to deliver her remarks. Ms. Andersen.

Good morning. Before I go into my speech, allow me to speak and pay tribute with humility to the two hibakushas. I have had the honor of meeting Mr. Nakamura in Hiroshima in 2022. And he told to me directly, as he told you now, of his experience. And as you heard from Ms. Gota, both her father and indeed Mr. Nakamura experienced what no child, no person should ever experience, but they did. They saw with their eyes what no eyes should ever see, and it remained with them. And they suffered, lost, and survived, and bore witness in strength and courage. And so I want to recognize on behalf of all assembled here and give thanks to those to and through them, to all the other survivors and hibakushas who have done so, with the same courage over the years since 1945. Now, let me allow me to go into my speech, please. Your Excellency, Ambassador Sadikoff, Your Excellency, Mr. Matsura, and my dear two sisters, Zainab and Anna Claudia, colleagues and friends, and most specifically, of course, the hibakushas who are online. Allow me to thank the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Kenya and the organizing committee, which is made-up of staff and other Japanese here in Nairobi, the organizing committee of the Atomic Bombing Exhibition in Nairobi, in collaboration with UNON, for organizing this important event on the humanitarian and ecological consequences of the use and test of nuclear weapons. Today we mark the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the International Day against Nuclear Tests we also mark, and the 35th anniversary of the closure of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site in Kazakhstan, and the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Semipalatinsk Treaty on the establishment of a nuclear weapon free zone in Central Asia. Nowhere has the horrific impact of nuclear weapons been more clearly defined than with the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And as we heard from His Excellency the Ambassador of Japan, by the end of 1945, more than 200,000 people had faced death and many more as we heard were to come. Homes, schools and businesses were vaporized as we heard in the witnesses by the hibakushas. And so many people were left with nowhere to go, with terrible scars, with injuries too impossible to cure. But we all know that the damage did not stop there. The local environment was poisoned, many cancers were reported, amongst the survivors for decades later and indeed by some in the next generations. And the hipu kushas, those affected by the blasts, have dedicated their lives to reminding us that we must never do this again. So while we have not seen another blast at this scale, innocent people have suffered as a result of nuclear testing. the Semipalatinsk test site in eastern Kazakhstan served as a primary nuclear testing ground for the Soviet Union. Over 450 nuclear tests occurred between 1949 and 1989, exposing, as we heard from His Excellency Ambassador, approximately 1.5 million people to radioactive fallouts. And on the video that we saw, We saw some of the horrific impacts of those tests. But decades after the nuclear testing ended, people near the former test site continue to experience high cancer rates, cardiovascular illnesses, and intergenerational health issues. Let us not forget that the dangers we face from the aftermath of tests over 2,000 of which have been conducted by eight countries since 1945. For example, nuclear waste from tests could enter the environment and cause calamity to local marine life and ecosystems if the bunkers in which the materials are stored were to rupture. So, Excellencies, despite everything we know, we live in a world in which nuclear weapons continue to proliferate. As of June this year, there were 9,745 nuclear warheads in the world. As we heard from Ambassador, those we saw in '45 were, to use your quote, toys compared to what we have today. And that the number 9,745, that is an increase of almost 500 additional nuclear warheads since just 2018. The use of even a small fraction of these weapons would not only kill millions of people, it would cause global consequences, the devastation of the ozone layer, severe and dangerous global cooling, famine, and more. And we are seeing an increase in conflicts amongst nuclear powers, an increase in military spending, and a worrying increase in dangerous rhetoric. So the UN Test Treaty on the Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons should be the framework to create a world without nuclear weapons, the vision expressed clearly by the hibakushas. and the impact of ionizing radiation on people and the environment need to be studied and better understood. This is why we at UNEP are proud to host the UN Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation UNSCEAR. We cannot reverse the harm done, but we can listen to the testimony of those who suffered. including through this powerful and poignant exhibition that we will visit, and we can do our utmost to never let it happen again. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Anderson. It is now my pleasure to invite Ms. Anna Claudia Rosbach, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat, to deliver her remarks. Ms. Rosbach.

Excellencies, Ambassador Sadikov, Ambassador Matsura, my dear sisters, Zainab, Inger, distinguished delegates, Excellencies, colleagues, friends, ladies and gentlemen, I'm relieved that Inger came before me. because I'm still impacted by the testimonies of Ms. Goto and Mr. Nakamura. I really appreciate their availability to relieve the pain again and again and again and again over the years. And I was just commenting with Ambassador Matsuda, Ms. Goto mentioned that more and more there are few of the testimonies. So it's really important for us to be here today and to have the opportunity to stop everything we are doing and listen to them and reflect about the impact of the disasters that happened and also vis-a-vis the context and complexities that we are living today. It's an honor for me to be with you on behalf of UN-Habitat to mark the International Day Against Nuclear Tests. As Inge was mentioning, this commemoration carries important anniversaries, the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the 35th anniversary of the closure of Semipalatinsk nuclear test site and also the 20s of the Semipalatinsk Treaty establishing the Central Asian Nuclear Weapon Free Zone. I really thank the Embassy of Kazakhstan and the organizing committee of the Atomic Bombing Exhibition in Nairobi for convening this event and Kazakhstan in particular for the invitation to be here and to speak. Few countries know this reality as intimately or have turned it into such determined leadership for a nuclear weapon free world as it was presented at the video. Given UN-Habitat's vital mandate to promote socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements, Let me use my time today to speak to something perhaps the other statements this morning may not, the profound impact of nuclear testing on human settlements, on where and how people live. Between 1949 and 1989, prevailing winds carried radioactive fallout from the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site in Kazakhstan. across the surrounding land, water and food chains and into neighboring villages, exposing hundreds of thousands of people who were never given the protective distance, warning or resettlement support that responsible planning should have provided. People were left in place while ecological and human harm accumulated invisibly around them for generations. The same is true of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where the hibakusha rebuilt entire cities, including their housing, their neighborhoods, their daily lives, out of ash and irradiated ground. This is where UN-Habitat's work speaks directly to today's theme. Sustainable recovery for affected communities is not only about medical care or compensation. but also about safe land to return to, resilient housing and settlement planning that never again leaves a population exposed without protection. Kazakhstan's own experience traces this arc. Land once scared by testing is now slowly being rehabilitated for agriculture and community life. And its recent choice through a national referendum to pursue nuclear energy for peaceful civilian use shows a country moving deliberately from harm toward development under safeguards and with public consent. Adequate housing for all is not peripheral to disarmament. It is part of what never again must mean in practice. For the families of Semipalatinsk, the survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and every community still living with the long consequences of nuclear tests. As this exhibition opens, let it carry the truth further, The cost of nuclear testing and nuclear weapons use is measured not only in explosions, but in land, water, ecosystems, poison, and in generations of disrupted settlement, displacement, and recovery. UN-Habitat stands ready to keep working with Member States and communities So recovery from catastrophe is measured in dignity, safety and sustainable homes for all. On behalf of UN-Habitat, I thank our hosts and partners for keeping this conversation alive in Nairobi. Let us renew our shared commitment to a safer, nuclear-free future and to cities and communities built on peace. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Miss Rosbach. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, we will now move to the next part of our program, a Japanese tea ceremony accompanied by Kazakh chocolates. I would like to invite Ambassador Sadykov, Ambassador Matsura, Director General Zainab Harbangura, Miss Inga Anderson, and Miss Anna Claudia Rosbach to make their way to the seats that we have in the middle of the room. we will be led through this cultural ceremony. Uh this cultural segment by Miss Ayaka Miyamoto. Miss Miyamoto is a certified tea ceremony instructor with more than 20 years of experience. She's also a member of the organizing committee for atomic bombing exhibition in Nairobi. She will also have a few slides. For participants in the room, you will also receive some chocolate from Kazakhstan. We kindly request that you hold on to it and kindly consume it outside the conference room. Many thanks for supporting our colleagues in the conference services and maintaining the condition of the conference room. Welcome, Miss Miyamoto.

Thank you, Sandra. Good morning, excellencies, distinguished guests. I'm delighted to be part of today's event. You may wonder How shadow is connected to this event? The philosophy of shadow was has deeply rooted in the Japanese web life and in our values over many centuries. Even during wartime, shadow provided spiritual support and strength to many Japanese people. Shadow has also been advocated as a means of building heart-to-heart connection amongst the people and fostering peace. Before the demonstration, I would like to share a story of the 15th generation grand tea master of my school. Throughout his life, he held various positions and titles. He also served as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and President of the United Nations Association of Japan. Sadly, he passed away last year at the age of 102. He was born into a long traditional family of chado and raised as a successor. However, he was conscripted into the Japanese Navy during World War II. Despite those circumstances, He sometimes served tea to his fellows after military training, providing them with an unwind moment. He survived the war. This filled him with deep shame and regret. He came to believe that seeking peace was the only way as a survivor. He therefore dedicated the rest of his life to promoting peace through the philosophy of Chado and his ideal of peacefulness through a bowl of tea. The last time he offered tea at the United Nations was during the celebration of the International Day of Peace at the New York headquarters at the age of 100. Today, I will be demonstrating a procedure based on jinchu demae, a style of Japan tea ceremony that was practiced during wartime. I would like to perform this with a prayer for peace.

Play all songs of CID.

Play all songs of the drama.

Play all songs of CID. Play all songs of the drama. Play all songs of Jio Dhan Dhana Dhan.

Play song, Sonu Nigam.

Thank you, Ms. Miyamoto, for taking us through that very meaningful presentation. Excellencies, distinguished guests, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, I wish to thank all our speakers and all those who have contributed to making today's observance possible. We kindly request that you join us on the stairs for a group photo. Following which, you are warmly invited to the main lobby to view the poster exhibition co-organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the organizing committee of the Atomic Bombs Exhibition in Nairobi. Thank you for joining us for this observance of the International Day Against Nuclear Tests, and we wish you a good day. Thank you.