ASTANA—With growing tensions and rising risks of nuclear proliferation, the United Nations (UN) continues to champion nuclear disarmament. Kazakhstan, a nation with unparalleled moral authority in this arena, is a vital supporter of this cause, said UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu in an interview with The Astana Times.
Izumi Nakamitsu attends the workshop in Astana, organized in collaboration with UNODA. Photo credit: The Astana Times/ Nargiz Raimbekova
“I think Kazakhstan has a very strong leadership already in these issues. The International Day Against Nuclear Testing [an initiative proposed by Kazakhstan] is something that created a strong international momentum. As I mentioned, in many treaty mechanisms – the NPT [the Non-Proliferation Treaty] and the TPNW [Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons] – Kazakhstan is leading multilateral discussions and negotiations,” said Nakamitsu.
She is visiting Astana to attend a workshop on nuclear-weapon-free zones on Aug. 27-28, which is organized in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA).
“I think it is supported by Kazakhstan’s, if you will, moral authority and a very unique experience that it has. I am sure it will continue to use this moral authority and very unique experiences. The fact that Kazakhstan came out as one of the strong leaders of nuclear disarmament is really helpful for us at the UN and in the New York context,” said the UN diplomat.
After gaining independence in 1991, Kazakhstan voluntarily renounced the world’s fourth-largest nuclear arsenal. A few months before that moment, on Aug. 29, 1991, Kazakhstan closed the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, where the Soviet Union conducted more than 450 nuclear tests for 40 years. This bold decision paved the way for Kazakhstan’s decades-long journey advocating for a world free of nuclear weapons.
Kazakhstan’s continued advocacy, including its role in establishing the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone and designating Aug. 29 as the International Day Against Nuclear Testing in 2009, solidifies the nation’s position.
Nakamitsu emphasized the UN’s disarmament agenda is rooted in the belief that the elimination of nuclear weapons is essential for global security.
“It is one of the most important issues for the entire peace and security in the world to get back to the path towards the elimination of nuclear weapons. This shared objective of a world free of nuclear weapons is still held, but, in recent times, as we can see, there are lots of risks that are increasing. That really worries us at the United Nations,” said Nakamitsu.
One of the most pressing challenges in disarmament efforts is bringing nuclear-armed states to the negotiating table.
“Many different ways, and many different places where we are actually bringing nuclear weapon states together. Of course, they have a sort of framework. It is called the N5 consultation process in the context of the NPT. We encourage them to engage directly with each other to discuss the issues related to the risks of nuclear weapons and nuclear disarmament obligations and responsibilities that they have,” she explained.
Speaking of how the UN facilitates its disarmament agenda, she mentioned the existing processes of NPT and TPNW. Both are international treaties aimed at addressing nuclear weapons but have different scopes and legal frameworks.
The NPT, which came into effect in 1970, is a cornerstone international agreement focused on preventing the spread of nuclear weapons, encouraging nuclear disarmament, and promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
“By the way, the second preparatory committee meeting in Geneva in July was chaired by Kazakhstan,” she added.
Kazakhstan has been a non-nuclear-weapon State Party to the NPT since 1994.
In 2024, Kazakhstan took on the role of chairing one of the key events in the NPT review cycle for the first time. NPT Review Conferences, held every five years, evaluate the treaty’s implementation and outline future steps to achieve its objectives. The eleventh NPT Review Conference is scheduled for 2026 in New York.
The TPNW was adopted in June 2017 and came into force in January 2021. This treaty was a milestone because it created the first-ever international legal ban on the possession of nuclear weapons, which were the last type of weapons of mass destruction not previously outlawed.
Kazakhstan signed the treaty on March 2, 2018, and ratified it on Aug. 29, 2019. There are currently 93 signatories and 70 states parties.
Kazakhstan will chair the third meeting of state parties to TPNW in March 2025 in New York.
“In addition to that, something very important is also being prepared. That is the Summit of the Future, which will be convened in New York in the high-level week of the General Assembly. The pact for the future is being negotiated by member states of the UN. The negotiation is still ongoing, so we don’t know exactly what will be the outcome of that negotiation. But in that document, there is a strong focus on nuclear weapons issues and how to achieve the elimination objective,” said Nakamitsu.
