ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan -

A round table and photo exhibition dedicated to the International Day against Nuclear Tests organized by the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) and the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Turkmenistan was held today in the UNRCCA Conference Hall.

In 2009, at the sixty-fourth session of the General Assembly, a proposal initiated by Kazakhstan, was put forward, calling for the establishment of an International Day against Nuclear Tests on 29 August. The idea won unanimous support, reflecting the international community's deep concern about the dangers posed by such tests.

29 August 2010 marked the first observance of the Day. It was on that date in 1991 that Kazakhstan closed the test site at Semipalatinsk, one of the biggest nuclear testing polygons in the world.

The marking of the International Day against Nuclear Tests serves as an opportunity for promoting education activities and public awareness about the harmful and long-lasting effects of nuclear tests.