International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons

Written by Renate Amesbauer and Laleh Ashrafi

With the cooperation of the Women Federation of World Peace (WFWP) and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons was celebrated in Vienna International Center (VIC) on September 30.

United Nations International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons (Nuclear Abolition Day) was established on September 26 in order “to enhance public awareness and education about the threat posed to humanity by nuclear weapons and the necessity for their total elimination, in order to mobilize international efforts towards achieving the common goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world.”

“Instead of investing money in the development of nuclear weapons, we should invest more in education, eradicating hunger and providing nations with better opportunities,” said H.E. Mr. Solano Ortiz, Ambassador, and Permanent Mission of Costa Rica to Austria.

Having emphasized the role of CTBTO in “constraining the quantitative improvement of nuclear weapon,” H.E. Ms. Alicia Buenrostro, ambassador of Mexico to Austria highlighted Mexico’s commitment to nuclear disarmament in the last 75 years.

In an age of 14000 remaining nuclear weapons, “raising awareness of the importance of the nuclear-test-ban on a global level” is vital. According to Nathalie Mayer, representative of CTBTO Youth Group and the last speaker of this event, spreading knowledge of  “threats and risks of nuclear weapons at schools should be encouraged” and this responsibility is on the young generation’s shoulder. She also went on presenting her project “Peace Education” with the aim of increasing awareness of threats on nuclear weapons.

This event was commemorated with the song “the Angry Flame” describing the trail of devastation left by an atomic bomb, sung by the UN Choir.