United Nations Debut: Addressing Nuclear Testing at the Semipalatinsk Site

United Nations Debut: Addressing Nuclear Testing at the Semipalatinsk Site

In 1990, the contentious issue of nuclear tests executed at the Semipalatinsk test site was brought before the United Nations for the first time, during the 45th session of the General Assembly.

The Soviet delegation to the assembly, headed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Eduard Shevardnadze, consisted of officials from various union republics. One of those, Akmaral Arystanbekova, was serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic following her appointment in 1989.

Throughout Arystanbekova's term, Kazakhstan faced the adverse consequences of nuclear tests carried out at the Semipalatinsk site. Aware of this, she consistently raised awareness of the matter in conversations with delegates, UN officials, and journalists during the assembly.

Management of these test sites was traditionally handled by one union republic each year, with the Ukrainian and Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republics separately participating as founding members of the UN. This tradition continued during the 45th session, with Arystanbekova joining as part of the Soviet delegation.

During Arystanbekova's tenure at the assembly, she leveraged her platform to express her concerns about nuclear tests and their impact on the environment, health, and people. Among her many audience members was Vladimir Petrovsky, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union and the head of the Soviet delegation to the First Committee, which dealt with issues related to disarmament and security.

Moved by her fervent advocacy, Petrovsky invited Arystanbekova to address the First Committee on the matter of banning nuclear testing altogether. Together, they prepared a compelling speech detailing the negative consequences of nuclear testing for humankind and the urgency of a united global effort to end these practices.

Arystanbekova delivered her speech on October 23, sparking much interest among the delegates. According to archives from the UN, she highlighted the long-term damages inflicted on the health and environment of the Kazakh population due to the 40 years of testing at the Semipalatinsk site, which witnessed explosions equal to a thousand Hiroshima bombs. She underscored her support for parliamentarians, public organizations, and the UN in their endeavor to put an end to nuclear testing.

Part of her speech, translated from Russian by the UN, goes as follows:

"For me, as a member of the government of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, on whose territory the Semipalatinsk nuclear testing range lies, the issue bears special relevance and has my full appreciation. Kazakhstan, unfortunately, has had the direct experience of what is involved. During the 40 years of testing at the Semipalatinsk range, nuclear devices, a thousand times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, have been exploded. All this has done incalculable damage to the health of the people, to the environment, and to the economy of the nearby territories.

Today, when the world community is entering the post-confrontational era, when the cold war is fading into the past, and the balance of terror is being replaced by a balance of cooperation and interaction, the task of ending nuclear testing assumes a global dimension encompassing all humanity."

The passage was taken from the official verbatim record of the 13th meeting of the First UN Committee on October 23, 1990.

Arystanbekova's speech was met with a mix of reactions. According to sources, Pakistan's representative, Jamshid Marker, was "shocked" by her courageous words, while Sergey Batsanov, Permanent Representative of the Soviet Union at the Conference on Disarmament, reported that the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union remained relatively calm following her speech.

However, a lapse in judgment occurred the following day. On October 24, a nuclear bomb was tested at the Novaya Zemlya test site in the Soviet Union. Many UN delegates expressed their anger and dismay, questioning Arystanbekova's explanation for the paradox between her call for an immediate halt to nuclear testing and the Soviet Union's subsequent actions.

Despite the testing hiccup, Arystanbekova's resolve to advocate for the cessation of nuclear tests ultimately garnered respect and sympathy from the global community. This increased global support and understanding was instrumental in Kazakhstan's historical decision to close the Semipalatinsk test site by decree, in August 1991.

In 1996, the UN General Assembly adopted the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which Kazakhstan thoroughly supported. As the first party to sign this treaty, Kazakhstan played a pivotal role in nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation efforts globally.

In 2009, the UN officially recognized August 29 as the International Day Against Nuclear Tests, honoring Kazakhstan's leadership in advocating for a world free of nuclear weapons and recognizing the suffering inflicted upon Kazakh people by the tests.

Over the years, Arystanbekova continued her diplomatic endeavors with a strong focus on peace, international security, and ending nuclear proliferation. Today, her forward-thinking stance and advocacy for ending nuclear testing remain symbolic of Kazakhstan's commitment to promoting a safer world for all humanity.

1. The Soviet Union's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Eduard Shevardnadze, led the Soviet delegation at the United Nations General Assembly's 45th session, which included officials from various union republics.
2. One of these officials was Akmaral Arystanbekova, who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic after her 1989 appointment.
3. The Semipalatinsk test site, which had faced controversy due to nuclear tests, was a recurring issue during the assembly.
4. Arystanbekova, aware of the adverse consequences of nuclear tests in Kazakhstan, consistently raised awareness about this matter with delegates, UN officials, and journalists during the assembly.
5. Vladimir Petrovsky, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union, was one of her audience members, and he was moved by her advocacy.
6. Moved by her fervent advocacy, Petrovsky invited Arystanbekova to address the First Committee on the matter of banning nuclear testing altogether.
7. Arystanbekova's speech detailed the negative consequences of nuclear testing for humankind, urging a united global effort to end these practices.
8. Her speech sparked interest among the delegates, with some expressing shock and others questioning the Soviet Union's subsequent actions.
9. On the following day, a nuclear bomb was tested at the Novaya Zemlya test site in the Soviet Union, causing anger and dismay among UN delegates.
10. Despite this testing hiccup, Arystanbekova's resolve to advocate for the cessation of nuclear tests ultimately garnered respect and sympathy from the global community.
11. This increased global support and understanding was instrumental in Kazakhstan's historical decision to close the Semipalatinsk test site by decree in August 1991.
12. In 1996, the UN General Assembly adopted the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which Kazakhstan supported, playing a pivotal role in nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation efforts globally.
13. The UN officially recognized August 29 as the International Day Against Nuclear Tests in 2009, honoring Kazakhstan's leadership in advocating for a world free of nuclear weapons and recognizing the suffering inflicted upon Kazakh people by the tests.

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