Near the Dangerous Border: Nuclear Weapon and International Safety

The thematic exhibition “Near the Dangerous Border: Nuclear Weapon and International Safety”, dedicated to the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons is opened in the Documents of international organizations reading room (2nd floor, 207g) from September 16 to October 13.

This Day was established on December 5, 2013 at the 68th session of the UN General Assembly by the Resolution No. A/RES/68/32 and is annually celebrated on September 26.

The resolution ordered to convene not later than 2018 the international high-level conference of the UN on the nuclear disarmament and to start immediately negotiations at the conference towards the signing of a comprehensive nuclear weapons convention to prohibit possession, development, production, acquisition, testing, application and to ensure its elimination.

The total elimination of the nuclear weapon is one of the oldest UN goals. This goal was the subject of the first General Assembly resolution, adopted in 1946. It, along with general and complete disarmament, was included in the agenda of the General Assembly since 1959. The topic of the total elimination of nuclear weapons was major in the review conferences held at the UN since 1975 by the states - participants of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. It was identified as one of the priorities of the first special session of the General Assembly on disarmament in 1978, which paid particular attention to the issue of nuclear disarmament.

However, many countries do not intend to eliminate its nuclear weapons. The issue of possession of the weapons is inevitably being considered by each state from the standpoint of its national interests. In the conditions, when the global economy is faltering, it is often a military force that becomes a factor in determining the international status of the state. The doctrine of nuclear deterrence is maintained as part of the security policy of all nuclear-weapon states and nuclear allies.

There are about 17 000 articles of nuclear weapons in the countries worldwide. Countries that possess weapon have developed long-term plans to modernize their nuclear arsenals. None of the articles of nuclear weapons has been physically destroyed in accordance with any bilateral or multilateral treaties, any negotiations on nuclear disarmament is not conducted as of 2014.

The General Assembly established the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons and urged the international community to consider nuclear disarmament as one of the highest international priorities taking into account the current situation.

The exhibition presents more than 70 documents in the Russian, English and German languages: books, periodicals, pamphlets.

The exposition includes the following sections:

• The history of nuclear weapons. Nuclear tests. The nuclear arms race.
• Nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.
• Cessation of nuclear testing. Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
• International legal acts and agreements aimed at non-proliferation, reduction and elimination of nuclear weapons tests.

The exhibition is useful for specialists in the field of disarmament and security, nuclear energy, international relations, as well as political scientists, ecologists, sociologists, students and university professors.

Phone: (+37517) 293 27 26.

Useful links

• International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
• Nuclear Safety
• Weapons of Mass Destruction
• High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on Nuclear Disarmament (26 September 2013)
• Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (entry into force)
• Review Conferences:
  • 1995
  • 2000
  • 2005
  • 2010
• Preparatory Committee of the Conference in 2012
  Preparatory Committee of the Conference in 2013
  Preparatory Committee of the Conference in 2014
• Organization for Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty
• International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
• International Day against Nuclear Tests (29 August)
• Office for Disarmament Affairs
• Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006) [on the Islamic Republic of Iran]
• Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006) [on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea]

Documents

• Statements, made at the informal meeting of the General Assembly on September 26, 2014
• Report of the Secretary-General " Follow-up Activity in the light of the 2013 Session of the General Assembly's High-Level Nuclear Disarmament "
• High-level meeting of the General Assembly's on the Nuclear Disarmament (A/RES/67/39)
• Follow-up activity on the occasion of the high-level session of the General Assembly nuclear disarmament in 2013(A/RES/68/32)
• Follow-up activity on the occasion of the high-level session of the General Assembly nuclear disarmament in 2013(A/RES/69/58)

Declarations and Conventions on the Nuclear Safety

• Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
• Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty
• Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco)
• Additional declarations and conventions on the nuclear safety