Seventy-five years have passed since the launch of the first atomic bomb in history, playfully named "Little Boy", dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945 — a bombing of the civilian population by the United States army that today would be considered a war crime. The bomb killed 70,000 people, perhaps the most fortunate ones; tens of thousands of others died afterwards, devastated by burns and radiation. This tragedy should have shown the world, unequivocally, the madness of (atomic) war — but it did not.

Stop to nuclear testing

29 August marks the International Day against Nuclear Tests, established in 2010 by the United Nations with the aim of promoting the cessation of nuclear tests and "averting their devastating effects on the lives of people". The prohibition of such tests is considered by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (Unoda) a crucial step towards creating a safer world. "On this day, I call on the world to evoke a sense of solidarity commensurate with the urgent need to end the dangerous deadlock on the issue of nuclear testing," declared United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The beginning of nuclear testing

The first nuclear test dates to 16 July 1945; since then, nearly two thousand have been carried out. Initially, the devastating effects of atomic weapons had been underestimated, with little attention paid to the consequences for people and the environment. Today, however, those consequences are clear, and the need for a unified halt to nuclear testing is therefore evident.

Comprehensive ban on nuclear testing

An international instrument exists to put an end to all forms of nuclear testing: the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (Ctbt), which forms one of the cornerstones of nuclear arms control and limitation. Under the terms of the treaty, member states commit to not carrying out nuclear experiments on their territory and to not participating in such experiments anywhere else. The treaty has been signed by 180 states and ratified by 148, but it will only enter into force once it has been ratified by 44 states with advanced nuclear capability — such as the United States, China, Egypt and Iran — while other nuclear powers such as India, Pakistan and North Korea have not yet signed the treaty.

Raising awareness so the horror is never repeated

Atrocities such as those of the two atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki must not be forgotten. They must form part of our collective memory as an indelible reminder of the destructive capacity of the human race. Among the aims of the day is also that of member states, non-governmental organisations, academic institutions and the media informing, raising awareness and educating people about the need to ban nuclear weapons tests. The survival of our own species is at stake: according to some experts, if all nuclear powers were to use their arsenals, humankind (and many other innocent forms of life) would be condemned to extinction.