“The Future of the Planet Without Nuclear Weapons,” a book exhibition timed to the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, runs in the hall of documents of international organizations (room 207g), from September 13 to October 13.
This Day was established by resolution A/RES/68/32, adopted by the 68th Session of the UN Assembly on December 5, 2013, and is observed annually on September 26.
This Day provides for enhancing 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.
As the only weapons with potentially existential consequences, nuclear weapons pose a grave threat to international, national and human security. The only sure way to eliminate the threat posed by nuclear weapons is to eliminate the weapons themselves.
Achieving global nuclear disarmament is one of the oldest goals of the United Nations. It was the subject of the General Assembly’s first resolution in 1946. In 1959, the General Assembly endorsed the objective of general and complete disarmament. It has been the main theme of review conferences held since 1975 by the states parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. In 1978, the first Special Session of the General Assembly Devoted to Disarmament further recognized that nuclear disarmament should be the priority objective in the field of disarmament.
Today nearly 14,000 nuclear weapons remain. Countries possessing such weapons have well-funded, long-term plans to modernize their nuclear arsenals. More than half of the world’s population still lives in countries that either have such weapons or are members of nuclear alliances. While the number of deployed nuclear weapons has appreciably declined since the height of the Cold War, not one nuclear weapon has been physically destroyed pursuant to a treaty. In addition, no nuclear disarmament negotiations are currently underway.
The treaty adopted on July 7, 2017, is a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination. It contains a provision that each State Party undertakes never under any circumstances to develop, test, produce, manufacture, otherwise acquire, possess or stockpile nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. The treaty shall enter into force 90 days after at least 50 states have ratified it. Currently, 70 countries have signed the document, 25 of them have ratified the treaty.
On May 24, 2018, UN Secretary-General announced the release of a new disarmament agenda titled “Securing our Common Future: An Agenda for Disarmament,” which discusses the elimination of nuclear weapons and other deadly weapons. In the report, the Secretary-General calls the member states for resuming dialogue and negotiations for nuclear arms control and disarmament. He also advocates for extending the norms against nuclear weapons and their proliferation and preparing for a world free of nuclear weapons.
The exhibition presents nearly 70 publications in the Russian, English and German languages: books, periodicals and booklets.
The exposition includes the following sections:
- The history of nuclear weapons. Nuclear tests. Nuclear arms race.
- Nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.
- Ban of nuclear testing. The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
- International legal acts and treaties aimed at non-proliferation, reduction, prohibiting nuclear testing and the elimination of nuclear weapons.
The exhibition is designed for specialists in the field of disarmament and security, nuclear energy, international relations, as well as political scientists, ecologists, sociologists, university students and professors.
The opening hours of the exhibition correspond to the library’s opening hours.
Admission is by library card or by ticket of the library's social and cultural center. Information and tickets may be obtained at the registration desk.
For more info: (+375 17) 293 27 28.
Official Documents Service Department
